


By the Light of Kagutsuchi

by Ysavvryl



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Genre: Asexual MC, Emotional Manipulation, Other, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2018-11-08 04:40:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 223,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11074248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysavvryl/pseuds/Ysavvryl
Summary: The sacred light of Kagutsuchi is the power of Creation.  However, any who beholds its brilliance for too long will go mad.





	1. Leaving the Ordinary Behind

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of notes to start with... if you've come across this story from my others and don't know this series well (it has happened before), the SMT mythos is quite different. There are many points in this story where I don't intend to offend anyone, but complying with canon may end up with something offensive. Just keep in mind: it's fanfiction, many views presented are not my own.
> 
> For those of you who do know this game, Dante will not be appearing and I have replaced him with someone else (and not Raido). I know, that might make some of you pass this story up, but my reasons are simple: this is the only game I've played with Dante in it and I don't feel comfortable portraying him. His replacement is someone I'm familiar with, a character I've wanted to use for a long while and has some parallel to the Demifiend. It'd amuse me if guesses were made about them before their name gets revealed.
> 
> With that done, I hope you enjoy this story.

_Another law of the world's rebirth is that only humans can bear the seed of Reason. Any human who beholds the sacred light of Kagutsuchi is capable of this. But the gods and demons who are awakened by Conception will tip the scales of the balance of Reasons. A strong will will bear a strong Reason, but a powerful interest from demons can empower a weak Reason._

-from The Scriptures of Miroku, passage 5

_Should this theory of Lucifer's heir come about, the Demifiend will be a powerful weight to break the balance of Reasons. If the Demifiend's interest counters that of a bearer of Reason, the bearer should not allow the Demifiend's power to grow or else that Reason is as good as stillborn._

-from The Scriptures of Miroku, passage 13

The whir of the terminal invited silence, muffling the minute hum of electricity and the mundane sounds of two people. This room was a haven from the modern cacophony outside the hospital. Unfortunately, the silent sanctity of this place was already disturbed. Her voice was quiet and respectful, but in this ugly world, serenity was frail.

"There's no reason to," Hikawa said, setting a hand on the worn book at his side. "All that is needed is the power of the Lord and the Maiden, a man and a woman." At minimum, that was two potential Reasons. He could be sure that if her Reason did not align with his, her's would be far weaker. Not even the power of god or demon could change the world's course from his designs.

While Yuko tried to stand firm, her shoulders shifted towards a meek posture. She wasn't capable of fully defying him. "Perhaps that is the bare minimum," she said. "But the Scriptures speak as though there are more. Nature favors competition."

"Indeed," Hikawa said, reviewing some passages mentally. "Now that our intent is declared, nature may call on others itself. But is it for that reason you propose this, or because of a futile hope of saving another?"

Yuko shifted her balance, gripping her elbow to support herself mentally. "Well, I know all will pass with the death of the world, even those who have little fault by themselves. It would be fruitless for us as humans to try gathering all those that deserve a new chance. I... I would regret not being able to save at least one other, true."

He listened and weighed the possibilities. She was a teacher who was not on good terms with what family of hers remained alive. From that, it was clear that she was most likely to attempt saving her students. They would be ill-prepared for what lay ahead, ignorant of what had to be accomplished. Any competing Reasons from high schoolers would be simple to overwhelm with his own will and preparations. And on the off-chance that the theory of the Demifiend would become reality, it would be fascinating to see what occurred. All of Miroku's scriptures were written with certainty save for the Demifiend.

Among those thoughts, the one that decided it was simple: it was better he know his rivals at the start than to discover a strong one called by nature.

"If that will take away your regrets, very well," Hikawa said with a small nod. "Would three be suitable? We wouldn't want too much noise to go into the rebirth of the world."

Relieved, she bowed to him. "Three will work. Thank you, Hikawa."

"Just be warned that I would rather not be disturbed in the last hours of this tiresome world," he said, shifting his chair around to indicate that the discussion was done. "I will lock the basement gate to keep to myself."

"I'll do what I can," Yuko said, then departed.

There was still time. Closing his eyes, Hikawa reviewed his strategy. Even if he accounted for three extra Reasons, there shouldn't be much he had to do. He had already planned for opposition since most demons would not be that interested in his proposed ideal. The guidance of other humans, even if one surprised him, shouldn't keep him from completing his objectives. The most interesting thing would be if the Demifiend showed up after all.

Perhaps he could make an allowance to see how effective such a being could be, even if he ultimately meant to block them from interfering.

* * *

If Hikawa had only allowed her one, the choice was simple. He'd allowed her three, which forced Yuko to consider who else to assist. They had the guidance of the prophecies, and yet she wasn't entirely sure what they would encounter in the process of giving birth to a new world. What would help the new world along? Who would be a danger to it, or give a violent form to it? She had some ideas, but nothing certain.

It was easy to pick the one person she most wanted to sustain their will through these events: Naoki. As one of her students, she saw things in him that others did not. He seemed to be a thoroughly average student with nothing special to him. His grades were above average, but other students were more impressive. While he tried a few different clubs and sports, he wasn't attached to any of them. He even looked completely average for a Japanese youth. Although he had gray eyes, they weren't anything that stood out besides the unusual tint.

Yuko felt like he simply hadn't found his own means to brilliance yet. While his grades weren't impressive compared to others in his grade, they were actually rising respectably well since he'd entered high school. Naoki was one of those for whom traditional schooling methods like memorization didn't work well. Once Yuko offered her students other ways to see things, he was one who thrived by them. She taught her students the ways that led her to excel.

As her footsteps echoed in the empty hospital, she wondered if it wasn't her own vanity in wanting to give him a chance unlike any other. Out of all her students, he was the one who benefited most from her style of teaching. Yuko wanted to give him more time to pull out of a mediocre status. She ended up thinking about him a lot lately, less like a student and more like a son of her own that she wanted to succeed. Well, it was impossible for her to have her own child, even if the time left for this world wasn't exceedingly brief.

She had to make her choices quickly. Checking her phone, she noted that classes would be ending shortly. This would be a good time to ask them to come visit. But who else?

Isamu. He wasn't doing as well as Naoki in class. In nearly every paper he turned in, Yuko saw signs that Isamu had rushed to get it done, possibly up near the deadline. But he was Naoki's closest friend. The pair of them joked around together and supported each other in classroom endeavors. As long as they stuck together, they should be able to help each other succeed even after the end of the world.

And the third choice was even tougher... Chiaki. Naoki got along with all of his classmates whereas Isamu didn't. And neither did Chiaki, honestly. She was know as the rich girl, one with a more prominent family heritage than the rest. With cram school courses and her family's high expectations, she was among the top three students in the school. But Naoki was one of the few who would listen to her and treat her without jealousy. There had even been rumors this past school year that the two of them were dating. Whether that was true or not, Chiaki and Isamu would certainly help Naoki.

Yuko sent off messages to the three, as if she were letting them know that she had open visiting hours today. She had confidence that they would come, at least Naoki. After all, nature thrived with competition. Its choice seemed clear; she'd foreseen that he would be involved even if he claimed no allegiance with Gaean or Mesian groups.

_He is chosen for two hidden talents. One, he is one of the few who can withstand the transformation. Many unfortunates were lost before the affinity for magatama was discovered. Two, he has no desire to reshape the world yet. He will bring no preconceptions into the Amala Universe. It is unlikely that another of such raw clay exists close by._

In short, it was meant to be. Her mind felt a serenity that Hikawa yearned for; her vision for the mundane was blurred by light. In this state, she could see through to what was truly important. It was in a time like this that she had accepted the need for the Conception. She was in the hospital room that she'd been resting in, preparing for this day. While there should be no one else besides her and Hikawa here, someone approached her. Observant gray eyes stood out to her, still searching for his way in life, pure and unmolded.

Yuko told Naoki what was important about what was to come. It felt necessary, as if someone expected this.

* * *

Ms. Takao was perfect in Isamu's eyes. She was intelligent, she was caring, she had a voice to die for... she dressed modestly, but it gave her an elegant air. On top of all that, she had all the characteristics of a warm faithful housewife: that modesty, that caring, her integrity, her subdued charm. She was the ideal kind of woman who'd take care of a man and not complain.

And he must be getting close to breaking the student-teacher barrier between them! After all, she'd just sent him a message saying that she wanted to visit with him at the hospital she was in. Wasn't that a clear sign of interest, thinking of him while in a low point of her life? She had invited two others, true, but Isamu was pretty sure that they all must have been picked out as something special. They were the first to visit her from their class, after all.

"The other students in the cram courses are so competitive that it's sickening," Chiaki said. This street by the hospital was not as busy as others, leaving fewer competing noises. "Always trying to prove their worth, and they're not beneath using other's work to their advantage. If Ms. Takao can clue us in on specific subjects in the preparatory tests, I won't have to study blindly and have them tease me for worthless knowledge."

"Yeah, sure," Isamu said, mostly because she got annoyed if people didn't agree with her. Chiaki always acted like the world should revolve around her. He'd rather be chatting with Naoki since he could talk more openly then.

Rather, he could plan better how to win Ms. Takao's feelings with this visit. Chiaki would think it was dumb. Naoki would listen and help him out, which was great. Ms. Takao always acted nicer when he was around. If he could know anything, Isamu would want to know why she reacted that way to Naoki and not himself. Isamu was working on charming Ms. Takao; Naoki denied he improved her mood even when he did and wasn't trying at all. Why was that?

And even if they were best friends, it was important that Naoki not get a clue and try taking their teacher for himself. Because he would probably succeed while Isamu had failed to catch any special attention from her. Well, special attention that wasn't sending him off to detention or reprimanding him. But even when she scolded him, Isamu felt no cruelty from it. She was strict because she cared, which made her all the more attractive.

"Isamu," Chiaki said, getting his attention, "what do you think of that?"

"Uh, what now?" he asked, trying to brush it off as not embarrassing.

She still sighed. "You really weren't paying attention. I'm talking about having a study group with you and Naoki. It'd be more interesting that way, plus you both could really use the extra push."

Isamu waved it off. "Hey, we get enough studying in school as it is! I'd hate to have it overtake my free time too."

"Don't you ever think about your future?" She shook her head. "If you keep being lazy now in this critical time of our educations, you're not going to get anywhere in the world. You're already risking it by not taking extra classes."

"I'd rather enjoy this time before the grind that comes with being an adult," he said. Although, would that impress Ms. Takao? She was a teacher. And it'd be nice since he hadn't seen Naoki much over break. Hopefully he hadn't gotten too absorbed in the weird occult stuff he'd been reading last year. "Naoki might make it more interesting, so maybe if you don't starting draining any potential fun out of it."

"As long as it gets you studying, there might be a fun way," she admitted. "Speaking of Naoki, I wonder what's holding him up? I know he has to take a different train, but he could have arrived at the station before us."

"It might not be his fault," Isamu said while she got out her phone. "I just hope an off-schedule train doesn't hold him up too long."

Because this visit would get boring or awkward if it was just him and Chiaki.

* * *

'It is interesting material, but sometimes you seem obsessed. Given what's already happened, you ought to be more careful.'

Hijiri was being careful, but this was a time to act. Occurrences were lining up in worrying patterns: a wealthy member of the Gaean cult going rogue, a hospital in a key location closing up without warning, the Mesian cult going on high alert also without warning, otherworldly artifacts being seen in proven incidents. If things went as he suspected, there was a strong possibility that the world could end.

_I've seen it all before, a higher cycle ending by narrow-vision mortals. It must be witnessed and recorded._

Around him, pedestrians walked along the streets without such worries on their minds. It was regrettable but understandable. Even his editor didn't fully believe it was possible. True, it might not be the true end of the world. It might just be an elaborate ritual that was only meant to intimidate Hikawa's enemies. But that man seemed serious. If Hijiri could see the scene in Yoyogi Park, he could estimate how real this was and how soon it could be.

_The earth knows it's dying. Unconsciously, I feel the pains of the lethal wound. It's coming, I must know..._

He had a kind of instinct for supernatural phenomenon, something Hijiri couldn't explain. It was like he could smell a fake before he found evidence to prove the scam. However, he didn't have much for such powers himself. There were secret societies of demon summoners and the like, usually connected to and controlled by the Gaean elite. Rituals tended to fail if he got involved.

_They will be alert if I regain the ability to summon. I can't let myself know that or I will be in danger._

The Gaean and Mesian cults were kept in an uneasy truce. Hijiri looked over the park at a quiet entrance, searching for a way into the communications tower area. Despite the truce, there had been a conflict between the two in the construction area here. Many people did not believe in either cult because they did not believe in the supernatural. They lived mundane lives in modern society; nothing bad about that, especially compared to the alternative. As such, the cults kept quiet to avoid ridicule, waiting for times of uncertainty when they could speak out.

Then why did they risk a large conflict that had to be covered up by police as a riot? He'd heard talk that both cults wanted to be rid of Hikawa. But of course, they wouldn't work with each other. Hikawa was a corporate executive who commonly used cutthroat tactics in business. He could easily trick those after him to fight each other. But would it be enough sacrifice to trigger an event like the Conception?

_It was, this is the time to be alert and witness... as I must._

Someone was approaching. Hijiri turned around, readying a calm reply to a question of why he was here. As a reporter, there were many people who would accuse him of being nosy. But this was no police officer; it was a high school boy who looked like an ordinary teenager. Hijiri's senses still triggered around him. Some power was watching this boy like a game piece for a board that was still being set up.

_He's important. I can't tell how, but he's important._

While he was gathering information, Hijiri didn't have a particular person he was gathering it for right now. But he had a feeling that this boy might just be a person who'd need his kind of information. That was only emphasized when he mentioned on the phone that he meant to meet someone at Shinjuku Medical Center. There might not be time to establish each other as contacts right now, but the gesture should be started.

_If I could advise him based on all that I've witnessed, that would be the help he truly needs. But I can't. I have to make due with what information I have in this lifetime._

* * *

When visiting someone at the hospital, the sensible thing was to ask the staff in the lobby where the patient was. The desk bell's chime filled the room so that anyone should hear it. No one answered. No motions or sounds came from behind the receptionist window.

"I thought the annex was closed, not the main building," Isamu said, glancing above where windows into higher floors could b seen.

"If the hospital was closed, they should have put a sign on both entrances," Chiaki said. There had only been one car in the parking lot, she recalled. The staff might have taken the train here, perhaps the patients too. Still, there being just one car was strange. Was there really no one here?

After a moment, Isamu pulled out his phone. "Her message does say Shinjuku Medical Center. Not a room number, though. Gah, and the reception is terrible here. We should look around for Ms. Takao."

"We don't know where to start," she said. Searching a silent hospital like this wasn't a pleasing prospect. There might not be anyone here, but there might be a good reason no one was here. Like a supervirus or malfunctioning equipment. The lobby would be the safest place, if any place in here was safe. If they could just find someone who worked here, it would all become clear.

"Well it doesn't make sense to just hang around doing nothing," Isamu said, stepping aside. "I'll go check out the halls."

"Fine, if you can't wait a few moments to see if someone comes here," Chiaki said. Although to herself, she was glad he took off. She didn't see why Naoki picked him as a friend. Isamu was a male idiot of the worst sort. When they had group projects in school, Naoki was the one who could keep things peaceful between them. Otherwise, Chiaki wouldn't speak to Isamu at all. Why was he late?

Once Isamu was gone, she took out her own phone to message Ms. Takao. The reception bar was empty, just like he'd said. Chiaki put it away and looked back into the receptionist's office. Still no one. Feeling apprehensive but wanting answers, she found the door and went in. It wasn't locked and the area looked clean. Maybe in the closed office nearby?

"Hello?" she called, opening that door. "Sorry, but..."

No one was here either. Chiaki didn't consider herself superstitious, but her skin felt cold seeing this. Just in case, she went in and checked. While she didn't find anyone, she did spot a schedule charts on the wall. The annex lobby was to be closed for a week to unspecified repair work from Cyber Communications. Patients were moved out to other hospitals, first from the annex building. Appointments were to be canceled; people were to take a few days off with the last day being today. While there were no explanations she could figure out from the shorthand, it was clear that no one was meant to be here today. Then why did Ms. Takao call them here?

What was she even sick with? Now that this mystery was before her, Chiaki realized that no one at school had been clear on what was wrong with their teacher. She'd simply gone to the hospital sometime before the start of the new school year and wasn't expected to be back until next week. Just in case, Chiaki picked up the phone on the desk nearby. There wasn't even a dial tone.

This was wrong. Chiaki left the office to go back to the lobby. While that didn't make her feel any better, at least the exit was right there. She wanted to leave.

_Don't._

But what about Isamu and Ms. Takao? True, she didn't like Isamu all that much. But she didn't want to see anything bad happen to him. And if their teacher was here, she should come check this lobby before long. She had asked them to come here.

Someone opened the door to the lobby. Maybe their teacher, maybe a staff member, someone who could explain things? No, it was Naoki finally arriving. His arrival did make things feel more normal. She was getting worked up over nothing; there would be a reasonable explanation behind all this. They just had to wait on their teacher to arrive now, and Isamu to come back.

But there was a quiet feeling in the back of her mind that something big was happening here.

* * *

The golden sun shone bright in a gentle blue sky. A place of vivid trees spoiled with a gentle life stood by a metal and concrete skeleton of a new building. All around, so many buildings, so much life. Moving pictures showed up without magic, stretched across a building's face to spread news both local and global. There was talk of violence, but it was a curious detached talk as if such things happened infrequently.

So this was a world where humans thrived.

Supposedly, this world was dying too. It sure didn't look like it. The energy that throbbed around him from the peaceful inhabitants was more than enough to sustain him without hurting anyone. By itself, that was a miracle. Few people looked on him as anything more than an odd foreigner with a long red scarf. That was the illusion, of course, but anyone sensitive to magic should notice the illusion itself. Perhaps it was that normal.

Seeing what could be normal, he felt his strangeness sharply. It was a pity that this would end soon. Then this mission could begin. Although it made him feel leery, it was something to do until he could get back home. It'd be nice if this world could last on like this, though. Perhaps he could learn something useful from normalcy.

Time was growing short. Feeling the motions begin, he hurried his pace to the next corner. He'd spent too long looking around; he needed to be at that place. Otherwise, the death throngs of the world might even end him. There was still reason for him to survive, to get back home.

...

Someone caught sight of the stranger and was curious for a moment about him. He turned a corner, sweeping an arm at his side in an odd gesture. Then he was gone as if he'd never been there at all.

* * *

Naoki took a quick glance at the man in the red suit; he'd swiveled the chair back around so it was just his black hair and the blue paper charm that showed. That charm... it'd seemed innocent enough, if out of place with the serious man that wore it. Yet all it took was a flick of the wrist and this charm activated, nearly summoning up a dark creature with wings and curling horns. A few minutes ago, he wouldn't have believed the sight of it. But something with this hospital made it feel like he and his friends had walked into another world.

Whatever was going on, he did not want to stick around the man who'd summon up a demon to kill someone who'd merely walked in on him. Naoki left to follow his teacher back to the elevator. She at least was a sensible person, even if she had acted like this all was normal. There were dozens of questions in his mind, but one should be asked first. "Should we get Isamu and Chiaki? She was in the lobby, but he went to go search the annex."

"That would be nice, but we don't have time," Yuko said. She'd once said it was fine for him to address her with her first name outside of school, although Naoki still felt it was odd. Normally teachers were like another class of people, ones he didn't interact with aside from classes. Though they were people, so there was a chance they might become friends later.

"Why not? If our phones would just work, it'd be quick." They'd all been called to see her and her given hours weren't up at all. Then again, that man had acted like time was up for everyone and it felt like that might be.

"The Amala drums interfere with cell phones, I wouldn't recommend using them," she said. "The Conception has already been triggered. As long as they stay in the hospital, they'll be safe for that long. We'll be safe on the roof too; it'll be a good view over the city."

Conception. The word recalled strange visions he'd had lately. He couldn't call them dreams as they felt too real. As human civilization grew ever stronger, the energy of the world faded. It would eventually die an agonizing long death; civilizations would collapse as the world could no longer support them, but it would be too late to reverse the process. To save everyone that suffering, the world could be returned to its womb, to be renewed and reborn in a new form. Conception seemed so abstract that he thought it was a strange fantasy his mind was stuck on.

As they entered the elevator and he touched the button to send them up, Naoki was forced to think of it as real and happening right now. It shouldn't be possible; it should just be a fantasy. "The rebirth of the world?" When Yuko nodded without hesitation, his heart sunk. "But the world and everyone on it must perish first."

After a moment of silence, Yuko said, "They must. It will be quick for them, before they can even realize it."

Naoki closed his eyes. This wasn't right, but his mind froze up at the thought of it all. In minutes, everything that he knew except those inside this hospital would be destroyed. This really was a different world. But how could it all end? A death or two was normal, a fact of life he knew from three of his grandparents passing away. They seemed like they'd always be there, but then it was over for them. These streets, his parents, his school, his friends, they should always be there. This should be his senior year, a transition time to a new life. But, it would all be gone? And some blind luck, or was it fate? Something brought him here to live through an entirely different transition, to the new life of the whole world.

But was it really so bad that the old world had to die? What was so wrong that such extreme measures were needed?

The bing of the elevator arriving was a rude sound. Yuko stepped out the door onto the ordinary looking roof. "I had a feeling you would know."

What could he say to stop this? Was there anything he could do? "It was just some crazy thoughts in my head. Nobody told me about it, and I didn't tell anyone." Maybe he should have. But it was all too easy to dismiss as a weird fantasy in his normal life. "I just had..." his mind still held back, not wanting to admit to strangeness, "dreams."

"Maybe you could have had a future as a visionary if that's true talent," she said. "But this will be our new reality. I feel like.. no, I know that you will find your way in spite of what's to come. Still, we all may be separated by the chaos. Look for me in the world to come. I can be your strength. When that time comes, I will tell you everything, including my true feelings."

This was an uneasiness that was easier to understand. If Isamu was here, he might have died of jealousy from those words. Naoki didn't feel the same way, but he was briefly grateful that the others weren't here. Chiaki would definitely be protesting that this couldn't be happening. For himself, he didn't want to accept that this was happening. But he knew it was. Who thought he was worth warning of this? Just Yuko, or someone more?

"Naoki, good luck," Yuko said.

Naoki gripped the chain link fence that kept them from the edge. The sky was shimmering. Seeing that there was really no time for anything, he replied, "You too, Yuko."

Black lightning tore through the apparent peace. Buildings crumbled as the land crumpled up to surround them... no, surrounding a bright blue star that was still forming. While the world changed incomprehensibly, that light swallowed him right up.

Not long after, Naoki was in darkness and agonizing pain.

* * *

Will this lead to a new cycle of the world, still imperfect?

Will it finally become a wretched world bearing purity of Law?

Will it finally cast off the shackles of rebirth and end the Amala madness?

I'm curious to know how this will go. Let's begin.


	2. Within Their Hearts

The later articles in this occult magazine were ridiculous, easier to dismiss as sham reporting. But skimming over that first article gave Chiaki the chills. Maybe it was being in the hospital that made the difference. In that case, she really wanted to leave. Getting back to normal surroundings would make it easier to find the ridiculous things here. Maybe it was even written as subscription bait like Isamu suggested.

Where were they? Isamu had gone to the annex, for some reason certain that Ms. Takao would be there. It didn't make sense to Chiaki since the annex was locked off from the main building and patients had been moved out of there first. However, the basement where Naoki had gone didn't make much sense either. According to the signs here, that's where the operating rooms were. They wouldn't allow visiting hours if a patient was there. But Ms. Takao had not arrived here.

Maybe she should just leave. She'd have to apologize to them later, but she couldn't stand this place. Besides, she could be using this time to study. Sometimes it felt like a pain, especially this early in the year. But hard work now would pay off dividends later. Her parents insisted on that.

It was an excuse, but she was fine with that. Chiaki got up, her heels breaking the unnatural quiet in here again. While she should start feeling relieved, she started feeling more apprehensive. A feeling filled her body like she was in danger and her mind had not comprehended it yet. Thunder cracked the air outside, causing her to stop. There wasn't supposed to be a storm today. Right?

She hurried on the last few feet even though a strange black fog appeared when it had once been a clear day. She put her hand on the door right as the earth shook. Without thinking, she gripped the handle tighter to brace herself. But no, being next to a glass door in an earthquake couldn't be good. Chiaki backed up as the ground just outside cracked upwards. That shouldn't be happening, it couldn't be happening. Yet against all sensibility, the doors were crushed with a mass of dirt and debris.

Would the whole building crash down on her? Chiaki looked up and saw something strange: a whitish-blue light filling the air. The light moved, then reached down to grab her. Trying not to scream like she was a weak girl, she waved her arm to throw it off and run. It would not be cast away and wrapped around her, surrounding her in white.

"You who have been chosen, let me examine the state of your heart."

"What?" She pulled her arms close and tried to step back. However, there was nothing below her feet.

The white light, pulsing like a heartbeat. Looking into it was almost calming; she could fall into that light. What was happening? Her mind went blank, then filled with memories important and mundane: her mother lecturing about her future, tales of her grandfather's glory days, getting teased for crying over a broken toy, disappointment over a birthday gift because it'd been bought in the wrong color, the stupidity of other girls gossiping. She hated gossips, especially when they'd been obsessed about her and Naoki being a possible couple, or her and Isamu as terrible as that was. Apparently girls couldn't be just friends with guys their age. She wished the world wasn't like that. She wished the world wasn't like it was in many ways.

"You have seeds for several possible Reasons. But if you wish to create a world of your own, you must nurture one to its fullest potential."

"A world of my own?" Chiaki asked, stunned. She wanted to protest that it was ridiculous, but when faced with a strange entity of light and power, it seemed all too possible.

"Choose. Is duty to family most important to you? Or a longing for one's own strength to be acknowledged, without molds and duties? You have the right the choose the guiding principle of the new world. Go into the world and examine your ideals. A servant of mine will accompany you for your protection and care. The Vortex World is a dangerous place; do not take it lightly."

The light then faded away and left her back in the hospital lobby. "Master Chiaki?" an elegant woman's voice called from nearby.

* * *

Really, what was going on here? The card he'd found unlocked the annex door on the second floor, but it was just as empty as the main building. Doors were barred and outside of papers scattered about, the area was perfectly clean. Maybe Ms. Takao was in trouble and she had to send an innocent sounding message to get help? It probably wasn't true, but it was fun to imagine. He could sweep in, take her by the hand, and...

Well, probably run for it if he had to be honest. Isamu tried to be manly with his look, from the American-styled belt buckle to his stylish hat. But he wouldn't be good in an actual fight. Maybe he was a secret crackshot with a gun? But that would get him in so much trouble even if it was for a rescue. Isamu was worried if this did turn violent, like if criminals were involved. He couldn't show fear though, that wasn't like a man.

He was standing near the elevator when unexpected thunder broke the silence. An earthquake followed as if that unearthly sound shattered the Earth itself. Worried about Ms. Takao, Isamu ran for a hall he hadn't checked yet. A strange blue light shimmered on the floor. Was it a chemical spill? He stopped with the intention to turn around, but his eyes came to the windows, the buildings beyond... the land rising up into the sky beyond that.

"N-no way!" he stammered, almost certain now that something funny had broke in this earthquake. That seemed more likely when the light rose up and surrounded him. Closing his eyes, he thought that maybe the light couldn't hurt if he couldn't see it.

"You who have been chosen, let me examine the state of your heart."

Chosen? Isamu risked opening his eyes and gasped at the sight. A... what did you call that? A tiny blue sun was before him, surrounded by halos of white cubes. The light soon filled his mind, blinding out all worry and disbelief. While it was mostly light, it reminded him of odd things: making friends with Naoki by biking after classes in grade school, the thrill of beating his favorite video game the first time (it really made you feel like you were saving the world), the look of exasperation on Ms. Takao's face when he tried to impress her with a plan for the school culture festival. And there was that time he sang his heart out at a karaoke bar to a near dead response; a kid following him melted the iciness of the crowd despite messing up a few times.

There were so many things in the world that you either had it or you didn't. And if you didn't have it, you weren't getting anywhere. It was stupidly unfair of the world; at least they should make it clearer what your talents were rather than making you study everything in hopes that something stuck.

"You have a strong seed for Reason, but little definition to it. If you wish to make your own world, you must be certain of what core ideals your heart holds."

If he wished to make his own world? That seemed like it could solve everything. He could make it so that he was the ideal for everyone else, and then he would be the best in the world and all women would swoon over him alone.

"Do not raise your Reason as something so mundane; the new world would falter swiftly, if it could survive the competition between Reasons with more depth. The truth lies within you. You merely need to find it. Go see the world and reflect upon what could be. A servant of mine will accompany you for your protection and care. The Vortex World is a dangerous place; do not take it lightly."

The light faded into fog. When that cleared up, he was back near the elevator in the hospital annex. "Master Isamu!" a voice around waist high said. "Glad to meet you!" It barked.

He looked down and found that a doberman-like dog wearing steel armor was by his side. Or was that a cyborg dog? It had some patches of fur, but its eyes glowed blue. "Whoa, was that you talking?" he asked.

Wagging its tail, the dog replied, "Yup! I am Pascal of the Kagutsuchi clan, ready to protect you! There are demons around, master, we must be careful."

"Demons? What the heck is going on?" He rubbed his head, then wondered about the others. "Oh crap, I don't know what happened with Ms. Takao and the others with that earthquake! Chiaki was staying in the other lobby, we can meet up with her for certain."

"Yes, we can explain with people together," Pascal said. "Where do we go?"

Fortunately, they were close to the hallway between buildings. "Over this way, we can take the elevator down."

They got to the main building, but the elevator wasn't on the second floor. When it arrived, Chiaki was there along with a strange girl. She wore a lavender maid's outfit with stunning high heel shoes, although something didn't seem right with her red eyes. "Oh, Isamu!" Chiaki said, looking and sounding frazzled.

"You okay Chiaki?" he asked. "That was, ah, some weird shit."

"No kidding," she said, calming herself down. "I'm all right, but the front door got filled up with debris. We can't go out that way. What about Ms. Takao and Naoki?"

He shrugged. "Haven't seen either of them since we split up the search. He might still be in the basement."

"Well there's no one in the offices down there," she said. "Except, well, this is Persephone."

The maid bowed upon being introduced. "Pleased to meet my master's friend."

"She's supposed to protect me, because of some," she trailed off as if she didn't want to accept it.

"Because that weird blue star said so?" Isamu asked. "It gave me Pascal here."

"That was Kagutsuchi, master!" Pascal said, wagging his tail again.

"Kagutsuchi is the arbitrator that illuminates the Vortex World and judges the Reasons for the one that will create the new world," Persephone added.

Why did I get the dog and she get the hot maid? Isamu wondered that, but knew that question would make Chiaki mad. Although, the dog was pretty cool. "Okay, whatever that means. But we gotta find Ms. Takao and Naoki first, make sure they're all right. He should be in the basement still."

"I'll go with you this time," Chiaki said. "This is getting too weird."

* * *

He'd explicitly told her to keep the children from disrupting him. Why did others continually fail such simple commands? It was said that a good business should run like a smooth machine; Hikawa certainly felt that was true. But there was that excuse they called 'the human factor' that caused problems. As usual, reality could not match ideal.

At least, not in this troublesome world. The thunder that announced the death of the world pierced through even to this basement room. For the moment, Hikawa let himself smile and relax. He was freed from the shackles of the chaotic world. Things would be much simpler from here on out. After all, his competition this time was merely a depressed woman and three undereducated children.

She had shown some strength there, true. Maybe it was the presence of a student bringing out the role of a teacher. And Baphomet seemed oddly curious about the boy who had just been here; he'd hesitated to attack, giving Yuko just enough time to intervene. Normally that demon was as obedient at the rest. Though he had been the one to manipulate the hearts of the Knights Templar. He'd have to be questioned later, once enough things were in motion.

White light surrounded him; Hikawa did not let it bother him.

"You who have triggered the Conception, let me examine the state of your heart."

Not just anyone should be allowed to recreate a world. The powers that be were smart enough to realize that, obviously. The rituals he'd already conducted were mere preludes. In the coming times, he would prove his devotion to his task while undermining the possibilities of his rivals. Hikawa wanted to start by thinking over his plans. Kagutsuchi would surely reward such insight.

Instead, he found himself thinking over the past. Early school days where he learned how cutthroat competition could be (such ridicule, but he'd shown them in time), college days where he was ruthless with his fellow students (his professors would praise his brilliance and yet chide him for being poor at working with others. If they just followed his word, he worked with others just fine). There were reporters who went to great lengths to make his business practices look bad when he'd thoroughly studied the laws to see what exactly was legal. Holes that others made for their convenience could be used for his convenience as well.

And there was that woman's face... it just about destroyed his good mood for this. But no, she was ruined by his works and now she was certainly dead. She'd presented herself as a submissive ideal that would serve her husband when she was in truth a leech who wanted luxury without the work that made it possible. She even had the vanity to try beguiling him into someone she could control. Hikawa would not let anyone control him. Her two-faced soul was one of the worst aspects of the world he reviled.

"You Reason struggles to bloom, as clear as it may seem. Are you willing to let go of all but that ideal? Thoughts alone do not prove devotion. Intentions may be misinterpreted even by one's self. Go and see the world; let it clarify your soul. As the Lord of Conception, you have sufficient preparations to thrive in the Vortex World. Do not get overconfident and falter before you fulfill your dreams."

So even Kagutsuchi could be mistaken. Not that it mattered what was said now, it would agree with him in the end. "As the Lord of Conception, send the Maiden and I to the Obelisk," Hikawa ordered.

* * *

"You who have triggered the Conception, let me examine the state of your heart."

People could lie even to their expressions. It wasn't always malicious. When she lied with her expressions, it was to avoid showing her weakness. Yuko knew she wasn't the only one who felt the way she did. Every time she saw someone smile, she wondered what sadness might lay behind it. The world wasn't right in that way. You could go to a social network and see pictures of everyone smiling. It made her feel how little she wanted to smile and wonder how many of them felt the same.

Although she felt full of light, she recalled darker things. She consoled a student whose boyfriend had died, but she hadn't told her parents about him and was desperately trying to keep her grades up to not make them angry when she couldn't work on anything. That student was hardly the only one like that. Yuko's own mother suffered mentally for years, inconsolable: her husband gave up on trying, yet they both would show off how unified and contented they supposedly were. She'd learned from them to do that well. But, why did things have to be that way?

A more rational side of herself wondered why instructions for how to end and remake the world were left around in a form that could be deciphered. It was a supernatural instrument, the Amala drums, that had the actual instructions. But the method of summoning the drums and plans for how the process went were right there in written prophetic form. While most people who dismiss such prophecy, the Gaean cult accepted all philosophies and summoning the drums was easier than summoning a demon.

But, did the answers really matter? It was impossible to change the old world's norms. But it was possible to make a new world, one where people did not have to be as constrained as they were. A world where suffering was not seen as a horrible thing to be ignored, but as an illness of the soul that should be tended to and treated. That way, people could find true happiness at last.

"You have a strong possibility of Reason, but a narrow outlook on it. Solving a problem in the passed away world is not enough of a foundation for a new world. Look within to find the ideal that can bring about the world you desire. Although you are the Maiden of Conception, you lack sufficient preparations to survive in the Vortex World. A servant of mine will accompany you for your care and protection. Take care in your journey."

When the light cleared, Yuko found herself in a strange place. There was little in this room of dark stone, just a small pillar with a pointed top. Ethereal blue light drifted in from tall windows; from here near the center, she could only see beige for background. And Hikawa was there, already examining the pillar in the center.

There was also a strange little creature hovering close to her. Eerie and beautiful, it was little more than iridescent butterfly wings attached to a shrunken brown skull. "I am Bitterfly of the Kagutsuchi clan," it said in a soft voice. Its body nearly faded from sight. "I think we will get along." Then it was visible again.

"All the necessary pieces will be scattered as part of this trial," Hikawa said to himself, touching the pillar like it could give him some insight. "But this will eventually be the start of the path to Kagutsuchi. It must be claimed first."

"Shall we leave?" Bitterfly whispered, flying closer to her.

"No, not yet," Yuko whispered back. They were working together to make the best world possible. If she couldn't fully imagine a good foundation for the new world, he could and she could make sure kindness was a part of it.

Hikawa brought his left wrist up and flicked the paper charm he had. She wasn't sure how many demons he commanded; these three were certainly new to her. While they were beautiful ladies, they weren't human and so something as off with them. The scissors that one of them twirled around her fingers seemed particularly ominous.

"Moirae, I will leave defense of this Obelisk up to you," Hikawa said. "I need to make some of my own additions, but you're free to do with the rest as you like."

"Certainly, we will find some fun things to add for defense," the one in the white dress said, smiling like a cruel child hoping their trick was good.

Then he turned to her, giving a momentary look over the demon with her. "Hmm, I see Kagutsuchi has some interesting servants. Yuko, I'd like you to look out into the world and find the pieces required for the final ritual: Yahirono Himorogi, the key to the Amala Temple, and the stone keys. Oh yes, and the Divine Messenger, that will be required soonest."

"What about a key to Masakado?" she asked. When he raised an eyebrow at that, she had to swallow down her nervousness. He treated her well, but he would not hold back his sharp tongue. "It was mentioned in the scriptures, at least that objects related to local deities may become more active. And since we're in Tokyo, it'd make sense that the guardian's soul may be awakened."

Fortunately, he rubbed his chin and considered it seriously. "Hmm, that would be advantageous to be aware of. Very well, if that interests you, you may look into that. This place should be ideal to your visions, don't you think?"

Yuko walked over to the pillar as well; there was great potential here, the soul of a world losing its identity to be remolded. "Yes, especially towards finding the artifacts for the ritual." She put her hands on the cool polished stone and closed her eyes. She heard a clatter from Bitterfly's teeth as it was staying close.

The world was so small now, a portion of Tokyo wrapped inside an egg. So much was gone, perhaps never to be seen again... no, she couldn't dwell on what had passed. She needed to look towards what could be.

In the blur of seeing beyond, she saw what was: a column of arctic ice encased Bitterfly, shattering and hurting it. It did not yet fight back, instead putting a blessing over them both to protect them. It was alone up against three clever demons. Were they acting without their master's orders?

No, Hikawa was there, coldly watching on. Yuko tried to break out of her vision. She didn't know much about demon summoning, so she wasn't sure how to help Bitterfly. But she had to be able to do something.

That is, if she could wake up.

* * *

Many buildings in Tokyo had been turned to sand, spread all across the shell of the deceased world. A few remained intact, clustered in tiny towns. As ghosts and demons both awakened within the Vortex World, they were drawn to these oases of civilization. Ghosts searched for familiar places to try comprehending what had just happened while the demons gleefully took what had once been the properties of humans.

And one tall human tower stood out over the rest. The skyscraper kept bits of its neighborhood around it, even an impressive stretch of highway still standing on its concrete legs. For a human building to retain not only itself but its accompaniments, it looked proud and powerful. Even inanimate power can be attractive.

He choose that place. Clasping the skyscraper with his soul, he empowered it to ensure it would stay together. It changed, given new life by its new master. Stark lines and brawny features, painted with a passionate heat to enhance what power it had. Pillars of fire sprouted at important passages, mixing primal and modern in intimidating ways. As he enhanced the place so, demons who favored power were instinctively drawn to it.

When it was complete, he manifested there. The skyscraper was far too narrow to be useable for his majesty, but it was a limitation of human architecture that he was used to. He ripped out a number of floors to make a space grand enough for his throne and form. Should any dare enter, they would understand his power simply by seeing how he filled a space vast to them.

His eyes glowed red as he examined the demons who had already gathered. No one was with him, so he spoke at full volume. "To those who have been drawn to the power of this place, I am Gozu-Tennoh. Welcome to the founding of my new kingdom."

Those who felt his voice down on the ground stopped in awe. They knew he was far overhead, that he was out of sight. They should know just how powerful he was now.

"We should celebrate, for the old world that we struggled to manifest in is dead! The new world seeks a form, not limited by what was. I wish to build a world of true strength, where we demons will be acknowledged for our merits. Should you wish for this as well, join me as the Mantra to take control of creation. We will gather magatsuhi and reserve it for the human who best matches our philosophy and will create a world where we will be welcomed. Join me so that power will once again rule a world!"

The demons below cheered this manifesto, eager to make it so. Above them, Gozu-Tennoh was proud. There was much to do, much that demons could not do. But they would do what they could for the human who would accept them.

* * *

"The game begins now."

The battered fragments of the city weren't completely desolate. Moving shadows and arcane passages appeared. With normalcy destroyed, the demons were creeping forth to stake new claims. Some he saw were so much weaker than what he thought of as demons. But others were far stronger; he'd already dealt with at least one of those.

There was no need for illusions now. His scarf was back to its ancient tattered self. What few humans had survived would be seeing things like himself shortly. While he didn't need to deal with them, he was curious what these humans would do. He was even more curious about the pair who'd done this. Their world had been a peaceful paradise compared to his own.

"I'm not sure this would help," he said to himself. "At least this hunt will be different."

Whatever was to come, he wasn't needed right away. He headed out to survey this strange land.

* * *

They searched the hospital from top to bottom, through every room they could get into. They called names and looked under things. But even when they'd scoured the hospital twice, there was no sign of their teacher or friend.

There were demons, just like Persephone warned her about. In nearly every hall, there were purple-skinned pretas that laughed and watched from afar. Pascal had barked a few times to scare away the larger origami creatures; the smaller ones seemed childish and harmless, playing with other papers or making fog doodles on the windows. There were ghosts too. While some muttered incomprehensibly and didn't notice them, others tried to attack them directly. Persephone and Pascal could dispatch those easily.

Worn out from the search and everything else, Chiaki and Isamu stopped in the annex lobby. Light still spilled in from outside; Chiaki felt like it should be night by now. "I hate doing this, but we should get back home," she said. "Our parents are going to be worried, especially since we can't get cell service here."

"I'm sorry, but you can't do that," Persephone said. "Your homes do not exist any more."

"Aw come on, the earthquake wasn't that bad," Isamu said. "There hasn't been a crack in this place, except for the other door being filled in."

"The Vortex World is much different than the world you knew," the maid said. "If we go outside, you will see."

"This place has been creepy, but we didn't really walk over into another world," Chiaki said, heading towards the annex lobby doors. Hopefully, they could open them from the inside.

Unfortunately, Isamu had to be an idiot. "Hey, but we've been seeing demons all over the place, even if these two are on our side. Maybe we really have wandered over into a demon world? Though Naoki would be the one who'd know anything about that."

Chiaki rolled her eyes even though he wouldn't see. "It's some staged stunt, more than likely. Can't believe that Ms. Takao would be involved; maybe someone stole her phone."

"This isn't a demon world," the dog said. "It is a world where demons can be, but it's an Amala world now."

"What do you mean by that, an Amala world?" Isamu asked. Chiaki pushed the handicap access button by the doors. Thankfully, they slid aside.

"The Amala universe is where dead worlds come to be reborn," Persephone said.

"But that can't be real," Chiaki said.

"Yeah, our world can't really be dead, uh, right?" Isamu asked.

"It died in an instant," Persephone said in a matter-of-fact way.

When they got outside, the street was completely different. The sidewalks and road were coated in sand. Many buildings that had neighbored the hospital were just gone. What few remained were cracked and crumbling; Shinjuku Medical Center was oddly enough the safest shelter here. That was more than a simple earthquake could do. And when they looked past that, off to the now clear horizon... it wasn't that far because the land rose up into the sky, with other clusters of buildings above them. Concentric ripples of sand surrounded what pieces of the city remained, on the inside of a globe instead of outside. And right in the center of it all, there was that whitish-blue star that had spoken to them both.

And while the streets should be busy, no one else was out there with them. Absolute desolation... did it mean absolute destruction?

Everything, everyone, gone like that. Why, how? Why were they gone, why did she survive? Was it real? Had she been knocked out in the earthquake without realizing it? It was all empty, yet too much for her to accept.

There were no words, just despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the Kagutsuchi guardians: One of the things with writing for this game is making sense of things that are great for Nocturne's atmosphere, but don't make sense. One of these is how Isamu and Chiaki make their way through the Vortex World as ordinary humans when you're told that your transformation was necessary for survival. Well, obviously that's a lie. Kagutsuchi needs these humans to survive to create Reasons, so it made sense for it to give them guardians.
> 
> Bitterfly and Persephone are both taken from the Castlevania series (which is why the latter is a martial artist maid and not a freaky lady cut in half). Pascal's name was taken from SMT 1, but was turned into a cyborg dog because, well, sometimes Rule of Cool decides things. Although in the end, Bitterfly and the guardian assigned to Naoki don't matter because they die off quickly.


	3. Early Motions of the Vortex World

Standing in the openings of the top of the Obelisk, Hikawa could see much of the world around him. Telling landmarks were visible from here, such as Tokyo Tower and the Diet Building. An unusual structure by the latter was very likely the Amala Temple; that could be ignored for now. From the distances between landmarks, he mentally calculated the total layout of the Vortex World. They had called on Kagutsuchi from Shinjuku Medical Center. While it was of little importance now, it had been the center of creating this transient world.

"Excellent," he mumbled to himself on reviewing the numbers. All the properties that he had bought up and prepared for the Conception should be within the Vortex World now. In the state this world was in, the buildings should still be acknowledged as his property even if the government that made it so was gone.

"Commander Hikawa," Atropos said respectfully. "We've completed a survey of the Obelisk as you requested."

"And what did you find?" he asked, barely turning his head towards her.

"None of the vital pieces are here, as you thought," she replied. "There are a few useful items around: gems, beads, basic traditional remedies."

"There was also this spyglass," Clotho said, offering a small telescope. The design and size were like an opera looking glass, something that wouldn't have great visual range. "It's enchanted to reveal the capabilities of demons seen through it."

"It's useless for me, but keep it hidden," Hikawa said. "There are those who would benefit greatly from such a basic utility."

"We had some ideas of what traps to place here," Atropos said.

After discussing what could be done, he left them to reworking the tower. Yuko was sitting by the pillar in the center, seemingly asleep. She wouldn't be waking up until he let her. When she'd gone into her trance, it took no time for the red particles of magatsuhi to get drawn right to her. The Maiden would naturally have the highest magnetism for that vital energy. While his role allowed him greater control, he still needed to find other ways to draw it to him.

"Tell me now, where are the pieces we are looking for?" Hikawa ordered as he stood over her.

Yuko's head shifted; her eyes remained closed. "The stone keys are within Kagutsuchi's possession, for it to grant to Reasons that successfully manifest. The key to the Amala Temple lies within the Amala Network. Only one who is willing to risk total engulfment of the Network can retrieve it."

"Something to lure one of the children into doing," he said. He knew how the Amala drums worked and some about the Network. Of what he did know, he could tell that trying to learn more was dangerous to the human mind. It would be akin to reading the thoughts of an omniscient god.

"The Yahirono Himorogi lies within the communications tower of Yoyogi Park. It has not yet been found, but there is already a battle to claim what remains of the park. It is only a matter of time before it is discovered; it will then be a gift for whichever clan of demons claims the area."

"As long as we know it's there, that can wait until things settle down," Hikawa said. The Himorogi was what would trigger the final rituals of the Vortex World. The main advantage in having possession of it would be the ability to begin the end.

"The Divine Messenger is an angel bearing a trumpet," Yuko said. "Two such angels have come to this Vortex World. Choose not the one of deathly revelation; choose the one of living revelation."

"I didn't ask for riddles," he said.

"That is all Kagutsuchi will reveal on the matter of the Divine Messenger," she said.

Hikawa tapped his foot. That was worrisome. Like the Himorogi was key to the final rituals, the Messenger was key to the middle rituals. Until the Divine Messenger was found and asked to begin, the gods could not be called upon to approve of a Reason and protect its Bearer. Finding one particular spirit even in this miniature world would take time and effort. And now there were two trumpeter angels out there, only one of which was the correct Messenger. There would surely be consequences for asking the wrong one.

"The existence of Lord Maskado's sword within the Vortex World can be confirmed," Yuko went on. "It has several caretakers who are keeping it hidden, awaiting one of certain qualities to become the next protector of Tokyo."

"I see." In his world, national and local distinctions would no longer matter. Differences would be negated so that all could exist in eternal serenity. Becoming a protector of Tokyo would mean nothing to him. But, it might mean something to the others. "Look into those requirements more closely."

"That will take much time," she said.

"That's fine. Also, tell me who you called into the hospital."

And she obediently told him. It was a rich girl with top tier grades, a lazy boy that was more interested in romance than education, and an average boy who had yet to exhibit any special talents. None of them seemed like a threat to his efforts for now. Chiaki might be intelligent, or she might simply be good at gaming the education system. Whichever it was, Yuko admitted under trance that she was vain and had difficulty getting along with others. Isamu might gather a good force of demons to back him if he came up with a Reason appealing to them, but he wasn't going to put much effort into his work even with the world at stake.

Naoki was the one who barged in on him, the potential wild card of the three. He'd not yet stood out in life, so it was unknown what his true capacities were. With the immense pressures and stakes of the Vortex World, he might come up with something incredible. However, he would know nothing of what he was getting into. Naoki would have to be watched, but he had Hikawa's preparations to overcome.

"Where are these three now?" Hikawa asked.

"Still within the hospital," she answered.

Good, they could stay there for now. "Very well. Continue looking into Masakado's sword and the trumpeter angels. I will return when my work elsewhere is done."

Leaving her to that, Hikawa brought out a small metal device from his pocket. He spun the top portion to summon an Amala drum from it. Spin the middle drum, trigger the transport function on the bottom, choose location from top... Ginza. There were two drums labeled Ginza; he chose the one that was left within the facility he had prepared. It was one of a pair of stores that he'd shut down temporarily for repair and redesign. However, the true redesign would occur now.

He left the terminal room immediately and flicked his charm to call Baphomet back out. "You were slow."

"I aaaplogize," they replied in a cheeky manner.

"What made you hesitate in attacking that boy?" Hikawa said, warning him in tone that punishment for that could be severe.

Baphomet was not intimidated; the flame on their horn flared up. "He was already chosen as a potential Reason bearer. Directly attacking a Reason bearer before the final rituals is strongly dissuaded."

Shaking his head, he realized that Yuko had been right. Nature favored competition and it had used her to bring in other candidates. It seemed Nature was as poor of a judge as Kagutsuchi; he would have never picked those children, save maybe for Naoki and his unknown potential. "Very well, we'll have to accept the presence of those children. Hmph, not that it matters. Carry out reconstruction of this facility and its twin as we planned. There is already a tunnel connecting them to the Obelisk's area."

"Excellent, that shaaall make things easier," Baphomet said. They clapped their hands, calling up their own followers to begin the project.

He exited the facility for his next step, calling up on Berith, Eligor, and Kaiwan. These three were invaluable allies, with the capacity to create armies of themselves in an instant. Only he as their summoner would be able to know which were the copies and which were the originals. While Baphomet had a similar capacity, the original was far more powerful and capricious than any of their shades. Berith, Eligor, and Kaiwan, even in their copies, were obedient to those who they respected.

"With you three as my generals, I hereby bring the Assembly of Nihilo into action," Hikawa said. The two horsemen respectfully bowed to that while Kaiwan twirled his star body. "I will be working here on vital projects. Kaiwan, you are to spread rumors about us so that information is mixed. It should definitely be known that we aim to build a world of stillness and serenity, and that we hold the Maiden of Creation. Any other plans may be distorted or lied about."

"It will be fun to do so," Kaiwain said, making its own bow.

"There is one priority order that I need you to carry out," he said, thinking back over things. "Locate a demon of moderate power, one who might intimate a normal human. Get them to claim Shinjuku Medical Center for their own, warning them to beware of letting humans claim the magatsuhi there."

"Hmm, I'm interested to see what such a thing will lead to," it said, smiling wickedly.

"Berith and Eligor, I want you to scout out the Vortex World. Gather information on what other groups are gathering, especially any individual demons that are of great power. You should also keep an eye out for an angel bearing a trumpet. That is supposed to be the Divine Messenger, but there is a false messenger as well."

"Yes, Commander," the both of them said.

"I will call you back when I am ready to give you your next orders," Hikawa said, waving them off. "Now go."

Kaiwan transformed into a shining spot and flew away, while the two horsemen rode off in separate directions. The next demon he called on was Ose. The leopard man nodded to him. "Yes, Commander?"

"You're to stick with me as my guardian," he said. "I was lucky that Kagutsuchi decided I had sufficient assistance and I do not want to give it any space to decide on sending one of its servants to watch over me."

"As you wish," Ose said. He was an excellent choice as he knew it wasn't his job to think; his job was to obey and protect. He was far better than any human bodyguard in that regards, although it had been too costly to use him as an actual bodyguard in the former world. In the Vortex World, demons could sustain themselves.

Nihilo might start slow, with only his demons serving him (and he might dismiss Baphomet for their cheekiness, once the reconstruction projects were done). But once it got going, it would be impossible to stop. Not even the potential Demifiend was a threat.

* * *

Of the once pleasant and beautiful Yoyogi Park, only a handful of suffering trees had survived the Conception. Most of the park was now the partially built communication tower, not even at an impressive height. However, there were a number of advantages to this location. The construction company had left behind many freestanding walls, sliding doors, barricades, raised platforms, unattached catwalks, and tools. It was the perfect material for creating a fun modern maze.

There was boisterous cheering and dancing now. Magical sparkles filled the air and musicians were already competing for a celebratory song. For a few moments, a small figure with regal butterfly wings basked in that joy. It was a difficult time and many had died on both sides. But they should be safe now, finding what enjoyment they could in this chaotic world. And if there was a human who matched their ideals and would let them thrive in the new world, there was a good amount of magatsuhi here to bargain with.

Although the chaos here was fun, it would be better made official. Oberon flew upward, accompanied by the sound of trumpets that weren't there. It quieted the crowd of fairies for a moment. "My people, listen for a while! It has been a true struggle to obtain this new homeland, what with the Foul and Vile clans making an unlikely alliance against us. But we have proven victorious! I now declare Yoyogi Park to be exclusive to the Fairy clan!"

Everyone cheered to that, bouncing and twirling. Some shouts came already with suggestions for celebration: a feast, a pageant, a dance. No yet, there were some more things to say.

"Of course we will celebrate, but hold still," Oberon said, holding a hand up. "With all demons free to run around in this world, we must take some cautions. Guards will be assigned to the doors so that only fairies may enter. A maze will be constructed to confound any that try sneaking by. Of course, you all are free to leave the park and will be welcomed back warmly at any time. In fact, I would like a few scouts, pixies or otherwise, to check into other places in this Vortex World and see how things are like.

"But that is for later. For now, we shall hold a grand celebration to make all the other clans jealous!"

This world wasn't welcoming to fairies. No forests to turn magical, all the mystical places seemed man-made or otherwise unnatural. But they'd stick together and make the best of what they had.

* * *

Billions had died for the Conception. Most of their souls faded away into magatsuhi, mindlessly drifting through the Vortex World searching for something. But even with the instantaneous obliteration, many were unsettled enough to keep themselves together with questions and memories. Those who were closest to the arrival of Kagutsuchi remained most collected, even aware of the new world around them. Other fragments drifted with more purpose, joining each other and moving together, drawn somewhere in particular.

Mifunashiro.

A question, a look, a compulsion... they were hazy as his awareness shifted. Spirit to mud, gone to here... ah, this was a new birth. Others were rising around him, uncertain. What they were before was dropped for what they are now. Corpus Manikin, a doll's body with a fragmentary soul. Fragments? But they were here, they were alive. They were beings.

And someday, demons would overtake them. Powerful oni, one without a face, one with a stone body, and others... a god of gleaming armor and a massive war hammer, a dark god only manifesting as a terrifying statue. They would crush the manikins and take everything away. No, not everything, hope could survive if they had someone to look up to.

And someday, they'd have a town of their own. A giant red lantern hanging from a stone gate, dusty streets and much work to be done, but it was home and a peaceful refuge. While demons might not think much of them, manikins could make their own town and even thrive, if given the chance. They might win the right of a new world if they worked hard enough.

And there was a demon of great potential in the world between they lived in now. Marked by glowing wings when he had none, he could pass the keys of creation to the manikins. He could crush them down more ruthlessly than the rest, leaving them to be forgotten forever. A few words and actions, kind or thoughtless, could sway this demon either way. His name was... was...

Just out of reach. He sat up and opened his eyes for the first time. Others had risen and were still rising, murmuring in confusion. Who were they? What did they do? What was... everything? There was knowledge from past lives, fragmented too. But it should be enough to get started. He rose to his feet, thinking of stepping up to guide them.

He quickly realized he was different. His eyes moved to where he was looking rather than drifting aimlessly. Even so, they could see him. When he met one of the others eye to eye, he knew this one was different too. He felt uneasy and when his eyes closed...

That manikin brutally attacked his kin, slicing off their flesh while they lay dying.

"What're you looking at?" the other asked harshly.

"You are dangerous," he said, looking back at him.

"Don't talk down at me!" He sneered and produced a long knife from nowhere. Something seemed familiar about this.

While other manikins stumbled or hurried away, he stood his ground as the dangerous one rushed at him and brought the knife to bear. Motions came to him; strike his arm to stop that attack, punch him in the gut to make him double over. Their bodies weren't the same and the latter strike only made him fumble a bit.

But the dangerous one did back off. "Damn you!"

"Leave the rest of us be," he warned.

"Hmph, I'll get you someday, jerk." He jumped back, his whole body shaking when he landed. "Don't forget it, my name is Sakahagi and I will cut down any of you who gets in my way." He ran out. Thankfully, the others moved aside so he wouldn't try attacking them too.

"Don't be afraid of him," he said to calm the others. They all looked to him immediately as someone who seemed to have control of the situation. He didn't understand it entirely either, but it seemed he understood more than the rest. "I don't believe he'll attack a group, so we simply need to stick together."

"What do we do?" one of the children asked. "Who are we?"

"We are the manikins," he said. "I am Futomimi. If you have names, you should know them. If not, don't mind it, names can be found. As for what we should do," images came to his mind, he put his right hand to his ear to brace himself to keep speaking, "there is a town at the end of this cave. This place, Mifunashiro, is a holy place; we should treat it as such. We can live in the town.

"But I must warn you: we live in a dangerous world. There are demons out there who would like to capture and enslave us. I know not why or how yet; I must..." the knowledge was there, "meditate on what is to be, to know how to advise you. Still, be careful; let's stick together and work as one people, for that is what we manikins are. There may be bad times ahead, but keep hope in your hearts and we will find a way to thrive even here."

And with nothing more, Futomimi was the leader of the manikins. They walked with him out of the cave that birthed them in order to find their new lives.

His words reached deeper into the Amala universe. Old gods, forgotten gods, beings that might be gods, they saw each new arrival as a new chance for vindication. Keep hope in your hearts... there was a people who would struggle with little more than hope at their side. One being clasped those words and sought harder to reach the one who spoke them. Or another in that world, all that was needed was someone to listen.

* * *

Chiaki stayed in the hospital... it couldn't be said how many days. There were no days now. Instead, there was the star Kagutsuchi hanging overhead, fading in and out like a rapid moon. It felt far too fast for a day. She slept when she felt like it and ate the same way; Persephone somehow got her food and drinks, being capable of producing anything she liked.

Still, it might have been better if she had to worry about getting things to eat or drink. It would be something to take her mind off of what was going on. She'd cried a lot, gotten angry but wasn't sure who to get angry with. One time, she had tried fighting one of the demons there out of frustration. The shikigami should have torn like the paper it was, but she couldn't even dent it. It had given her a nasty shock and Persephone had to bail her out before she died.

"I want out of this hospital," she said. Sleeping in these patient beds, staring at the sterile neutral walls, reading those posted papers over and over... it was driving her nuts.

"We can go any time you like," Persephone said. "Just have to walk out the door. There are stronger demons out there, but I will protect you."

Technically, she didn't need anyone's permission to do so. It was a liberating feeling, one that Chiaki was trying to bat down as it wasn't right. Realizing that, she got up and shrugged. "Right, it just feels better to declare it. I'd better tell Isamu at least. It's strange that we can't find Naoki; I know he was here."

She had a good idea of where Isamu would be and she was right. After a few days (meaning the times between when they slept), he'd started hanging out in the basement with a weird object. Chiaki assumed it was some part of a computer, strangely designed like a barrel with three spinning sections. Glowing characters were all over it, some recognizable but most not. Apparently, the characters could change as well.

Isamu was there with Pascal, reading one of the laptops connected to the thing. "Oh hey, wanna hear what I've found out about the drum now?"

"You mean this thing?" Chiaki asked. She nearly said 'not really'.

But he jumped in first. "It goes by several names, including Amala drum and terminal. If you know how to use it properly, you can find out anything in the universe, and I mean anything. But the guy who was last making notes on this didn't crack it that far. I've got a good headway into it, trying to figure out how to summon one anywhere because that's a major part in making them more usable. I did figure out how to get the terminal to send a user to another terminal, like zappo, instant!"

"This thing can transport people?" Chiaki asked. That was a good thing to know.

"Of course," Persephone said. "The terminals could be vital in moving around."

Isamu swung the chair around to touch the terminal. "Yeah, and it's pretty simple too. You got to find the sort of menu down here," he moved the bottom ring, finding a kanji for movement. "That's the symbol. Get the middle ring spinning good, touch this to let it know you want to go somewhere, and then find your target location on the top ring." While Isamu swung the middle ring a little, he didn't fully transport.

"And we could get out of here? Good, because I want to leave." But where to? She had seen distant buildings on the rise of the land, but wasn't sure what places those were.

"Well, there's a problem with that," Isamu said, turning the top ring until he found a circle. "See, these characters are separate because it represents this location, Shinjuku Medical Center. Some of these characters seem familiar, like this looks kind of like Yoyogi Park. But I'm not sure it's right." Oddly enough, he grinned at that. "The terminals connect through the Amala Network, which itself is an internal structure of the Amala Universe. You could potentially go to an entirely different world with these things! Until we figure out what marks a location as being in this world or out of it, it's a risk picking blindly. But if you know this character for this location, you should be able to return here any time."

"I can't imagine why I would return," she said. "Seems like you'd need to head out too to find another terminal and know two destination characters."

"Maybe, but I'm still working my way through these notes," he said, turning back to the laptop. "Man, but there's some scary stuff in here. The plans for this event, the Conception creating the embryonic Vortex World within the Amala Universe, to make a new world, it's all in such incredible detail. Like, you need a specific amount of magatsuhi energy from living human sacrifices just to start the whole process."

"So someone did this intentionally?" Chiaki asked, her anger returning. "Who was it?! I'd like to punch them in the face or something."

"Wow, you're getting riled up about this," he said jokingly.

"And you aren't?" she retorted. "That person killed off the whole world! They have no right to do that."

"Yeah, that's true," Isamu said. "It seems like it's that missing executive of Cyber Communications, Hikawa. If it's not him, then whoever triggered it has to be here in the Vortex World with us. If he hated the world that much, I don't see why he didn't just use the Amala Network to go to another world. Some more work translating this and he might've been able to pick out one more suitable."

Those were some useless thoughts. Chiaki crossed her arms over her chest. "I suppose. It's strange to me that you're so into studying this. You hardly studied for school."

He paused what he was doing. "Well that's because hardly any of that stuff was relevant. All that ancient history, and the biology, and advanced math, what the hell was I going to use all that stuff for in normal life? I could've quit around middle school and got along just fine. But this Amala stuff, that's going to be useful right now. The network can tell me exactly what I need to know without any of the useless fluff, I just have to know how to speak its language."

"Sure, you could've dropped out if you were fine with working low-end jobs and struggling to get by the rest of your life. Why don't you ever think about your future? You'll never improve if you don't try, and sometimes you'll never maintain where you are if you don't put in a lot of effort." She realized that she was sounding like her mother in this. His parents really should have given him this lecture. "I wouldn't want to live in a world based off your ideas, it'd all fall apart into useless anarchy."

He turned around enough to glare at her. "Well I wouldn't want to live in a world based off your ideas either, it'd probably be the same old hierarchy but even worse. What does that future mean anyhow? That world is dead! It... it really is dead." His anger died out, leaving him looking lost.

It was an aching emptiness in her heart. But she wasn't about to share that pain with a jerk like Isamu. How did Naoki ever stand him? "Right, we should be looking to the future we have now; I'm sure your laziness will really come around to bite you soon." She turned and wanted to slam the door behind her, but these weren't the sort of doors that could be slammed. So she just hurried to the elevator and headed out.

When she got into the annex lobby, a large shadow sweeping across the floor stopped her. What was that? This lobby was two stories high, a fairly large space. And, something was flying around in it? Chiaki carefully edged up near the wall to see what it was. Close by, Persephone braced herself for a fight.

"Woooooo!" the demon bellowed excitedly. It had a white underbelly, a long black tail with a barbed end, and vast wings... no, those were fins. This was a massive manta ray, far larger than ones she'd seen in the aquarium. On its head, she caught a glimpse of a silver crown. "That guy was so dumb to not claim this place for himself! Now it's all mine, all the magatsuhi here is mine!"

She'd failed to do anything to a demon made of paper, so Chiaki knew she couldn't do anything to a demon manta ray. Well, Persephone might be able to win a fight with it. But Chiaki just wanted out of this place. The ray was busy flying and celebrating its conquest, so it didn't seem to be paying attention. She waited for it to make another high pass close to the corner she was in, then hurriedly walked for the doors. Running might make too much noise. Without being told, Persephone followed along silently.

"I will become more powerful and then even Decarabia will be in awe!" the manta ray rambled on. "This place is mine, I have a place all mine and I don't have to share because the other demons are too puny and weak..." it slowed to a stop, looking right at her. Chiaki froze, barely in reach of the glass doors. "What are you trying to do, human? This place belongs to me, Forneus, and that means everyone..."

"Go," Persephone urged her. Chiaki nodded and lunged for the door's handicap button. It opened immediately.

"...here also belongs to me, especially you humans!" Forneus ranted on. The air by her got colder. "Hey, stop you! I order you to stop!"

A spear of ice crashed into the wall as Chiaki and Persephone rushed through the doors. They kept running down the sandy street until it broke apart. In front of them, a vast stretch of dull sand went out and up before them. But the land was cracked, leaving black masses of nothing separating the portions of Tokyo left behind.

The manta ray had not pursued them outside. "Well, that one was an idiot," Chiaki said, assuring herself that she was in control of the situation. "He's too big to be going through the halls; I can't even imagine how he crammed himself through those doors. And he could barely swim around that lobby as it was. There's no way he owns the hospital."

"There was a large hole in the ceiling," Persephone said. "But you're right, he would have difficulty getting anywhere else in the hospital."

"If he's not going to chase us, we can forget about him," Chiaki said. She looked out to the desert. There was an area that looked like Yoyogi Park in the distance; large voids held it in a pincer, but she should be able to reach one entrance. And there was another cluster of buildings not far beyond that. "Let's go; I just hope we aren't leaving behind the only shelter with decent beds."

"Kagutsuchi would have provided something," the maid said, following close behind her.

* * *

You could feel the characters on the terminal change, movements on a smooth and solid surface. It had been creepy at first, but Isamu found it magical now. This was a lot better than studying out of some old book, or even from the computer. When you could find facts and answers to anything at all, anything in the universe (or even multiple universes, since worlds moved here as a planetary afterlife), and it came to you in an instant as long as you knew the codes, then you would know practically anything since you could find it right here.

Unfortunately, he was not at that level. But he was making breakthroughs. "That's the right street name, and number, and the office? Lots of companies... ah-ha, there it is!" He tapped on the telltale word in triumph. "That's where my old man works! Hah, I can even pull up his name and employment records, awesome. And he was holding back on us if that's his salary, the scum. So then this," he touched another character, "is definitely Ikebukuro. So if I can search out other addresses, I can figure out the names of destination terminals..."

"Good!" Pascal barked, wagging his tail. "Master Isamu is clever!"

"Hah, you'd be one of the few to acknowledge that," he said. Then something occurred to him. "Wait a sec. If I can figure out places, then I can surely figure out people. Amala drum, I want to find Ms. Takao... Takao Yuko, I mean."

The answers came immediately. However, they were glowing red this time instead of blue. Isamu wasn't sure what it all meant, but one word was clear: forbidden.

"Aw, what do you mean forbidden?" he asked. It changed, but again he didn't know all the characters. "That sucks, but I'll figure it out. Okay, let's try someone else. Amala drum, I want to find Kashima Naoki."

The characters were blue this time, and mostly ones he understood. According to the drum, Naoki was in the hospital with him. There was even a room number.

"Huh, but that's right here in the basement," Isamu murmured. Then he bolted from the chair and headed out of the terminal room, Pascal bounding after him. The numbers were right by the doors; the one Naoki was in was actually close by.

Right across the hall, or very nearly so. The door obediently slid aside and he went into... wasn't this a morgue? There were two walls of drawers that looked the right size to hold bodies for later examinations. Two beds were sitting in here, but he hadn't dared sleep in this morgue. Not just the idea of the place, but there were large bloodstains on one bed and the floor. No matter how he looked at it, there was no one alive in here aside from himself and his dog.

Isamu took off his hat for a moment. "Dammit, that means I'm stuck here with Miss Blueblood Chiaki, whatever nut killed the world, and Ms. Takao... but I didn't see him that long before the earthquake. Who the hell had the time to kill Naoki and put his body away?" He shook his head and put his hat back on. "Aw, whatever, I know everyone else is gone too. Hey man, you... you just be at peace. Um. I'll get to Ms. Takao and rescue her from the nutcase, yeah. You can trust me on that."

After giving a respectful bow, Isamu left. He could detach the laptop he had been using from the terminal, then take it when he made a test transport to Ikebukuro. He'd keep decrypting it until he could understand that forbidden message and get around it. While there was so much lost, he felt like he had gained something invaluable that could be his alone.

When the morgue's door shut, the red glow of magatsuhi filled the room.

* * *

"Magatsuhi?" A bony violet hand knocked on the door. "Open, me open?"

The door remained firmly shut. The preta dropped his head to his chest, making his earrings clatter. Such tasty magatsuhi was behind this door, he could smell it! And so much... it would be an incredible feast even if he invited other pretas to join him. But if the door was locked, the door was locked. He scuttled off across the basement floor, sniffing out where else magatsuhi could be.

There was a scent here of a human; there had been some humans here, more than one but he couldn't count. But the humans had strong demons at their sides, keeping the preta from getting magatsuhi straight from the humans. Fresh magatsuhi would be amazing, preta never got fresh. With the idea tempting, he reached up to knock at another door.

Happily, it moved aside for him. But there was no human here (nor a stronger demon, thank goodness). The terminal thing was spinning, its glow fading. There was a bit of magatsuhi here at the floor, pretty fresh at that. When the preta clasped that tasty energy, he found he also clasped something physical: a little plastic square. The magatsuhi was attached to that. Was it important? He didn't know what it was.

And then something dark whispered to him. Something so powerful that he knew from deep within his gut that this being could crush him with just a pinky finger. "Little preta, you have found a key. You know that big bully of this place? You can lock him out securely with that key so that you and your preta friends can have all the magatsuhi of this part to yourselves."

"Ma-magatsuhi, mine?" He looked at the plastic key in wonder.

"That's right." And there was information suddenly in mind, how to use the key. "It's very important, you know. And since it is so important, I'll give you a little warning." The previously kindly voice turned stern. "Stay out of this basement." Otherwise, many deaths were waiting.

The preta froze at the warning. But, but all that tasty magatsuhi in the other room! But then, he would rather taunt the big fish bully than face whatever was talking to him. "Yes, yes, no basement. Go up. Lock door. Good, thank person."

"You're welcome," it said, kind enough to chuckle, maybe even pat his head.

* * *

"Oh no, what am I supposed to do now?" Her white wings were a blur as she searched the halls. "Those, those stupid pretas! How did they lock that door? They can barely speak, there's no way."

But somehow, there was a way because the door in the glass hallway was locked now and the preta had the pass card thingy. And the only ways out of this bland building were in the other part! Not that a pixie needed doors. She could get herself out through any hole, even a crack if she could get her body through it without hurting her wings. But she'd not seen any holes in this part. No way out...

The pixie knew she could take out one preta on her own. A bit of magic and zap, they were in trouble! But the preta with the pass was hanging out with a group of his buddies. Maybe she could pester one of the other demons to help her out? The others seemed contented to stay, for some reason. She might be able to convince a hua po to have some fun with her, but she'd only seen them in the other part playing with each other's hair. And they'd made fun of her own short hair, the stupid Jirae.

Maybe through the basement? Because she'd gotten in from a little garden place that held a ladder inside. If other pixies had come scouting with her to this location, they could have made a nice little home for themselves in that still-green garden. But no, she'd come here alone and now she was cut off from the rest. The pixie went into the elevator and pushed the basement button with both hands.

The door opened and a pervasive feeling sunk deep into her soul: she'd made a mistake coming down here. Someone extremely powerful, way more than the silly Forneus in the other lobby, was down here doing something. And that person wanted to be left alone. Immediately, the pixie rammed into the second floor button instead.

Her body trembled as the elevator hesitated from taking off. She hoped she wasn't noticed, she hoped she wasn't noticed... she could barely hear someone. "Come... Demi..."

Even as the doors shut, she was still petrified. It was only when they opened again at the second floor that she let out a sigh of relief. "Eek, that was horrifying. But who's Demi? I hope they're not crazy."

Well, it seemed she was stuck here. She couldn't get to the other side of the building and she couldn't go in the basement. Maybe there was a way to trick the pretas into coming at her alone? That could be fun, but her nerves were still frazzled. Maybe it was better to find a stronger demon at get them to fight the pretas for her. She'd seen some shikigami around, they were usually easy to flatter into helping out.

Even if it was best that she not be concerned, she still wondered who was in the basement doing what.


	4. A Soul Torn Apart and Remade

A writhing white bug with long pincers dug right through his eye and entered.

Your heart is clear, with no hint of a Reason. Go, and find yourself in this Vortex World!

"You had better be joking, this hat does not make me look like a weirdo," Isamu said in mock anger. He shifted the hat around, checking the mirror on the store wall while Naoki tossed around a goofier looking hat. "They call it jaunty, right? It'd make me look cooler." It was certainly his favorite hat as he wore it all the time afterwards.

You poor human; my master has seen it fit to give you a gift.

"Right, I knew that," his father said, exchanging the baking soda for the baking powder. Naoki smiled and shook his head. "Hey, it's been a while since I baked anything. But we'll get it right together; your mother will be really happy with this, I'm sure."

"Fudge can't be simple, it's like magic," his cousin said, her small hands on the bar while she looked at the candy store's display. Maybe he should make a small batch with her, if his aunt approved.

Marogareh, Marogareh, Marogareh.

The lights flickered, making that peach wallpaper of his uncle's house look even odder. "There might be so much water in the streets that we'll have to swim to school," Naoki joked to make this typhoon less scary. It was the kind of responsibility that he had in being the oldest kid of this family; he never minded that he didn't have younger siblings because he had his cousins. "Maybe we'll even run into a mythical sea creature, like the king of all manta rays."

You who have been chosen, show me the state of your heart.

"That's can't be right," Naoki said, smiling it off. But when the Tarot cards were drawn again, they were the exact same set. They suggested that he could have a future as a respected general.

A squelch and a scream; something had died when he fell from that bright light to this abyssal dark.

In the wonderful atmosphere of this festival, it didn't matter much what prize he got as he had triumphed in this difficult game. He might be the happiest kid here. Even his parents were happy for him. "Maybe we'll get some sweet dumplings after all to celebrate," his mother said, smiling bright.

The old woman was hard to know with her black veil and long dress. But the blond child in the suit, his eyes pierced souls. In meeting those eyes, it was clear that the body was nothing but a mask for an exceptional soul.

They made it all the way to the beach! Naoki laughed in triumph, letting go of his bike's handle for a moment to give a high five to Isamu. They were now hot and sweaty from the effort, but who cared? They could buy some drinks here, maybe some ice cream. But, maybe they'd just catch the train back home.

He wanted to dig into his skull and get this thing out, whatever was eating at him inside. But in this agony, he couldn't move his body how he wanted. Who could call this a gift? Marogareh, Marogareh.

"Well it's nothing much to us, but I guess I could tell you about it," Chiaki said, easing up now that he was curious about her family's traditions. It bothered Naoki that the others in class were purposely ignoring her out of jealousy. Sure, she didn't have the best attitude. If treated kindly, she might become kind in turn.

The chain link fence seemed like flimsy protection when black lightning tore into the city and everyone died. That's right. Everyone died.

Was he dead?

Marogareh.

"He told me to feel grateful that I was alive and healthy," Naoki said, grief murmuring in his head. There was also admiration and pride in his grandfather's courage when his body had been so weak. And yes, even joy to feel the sun on his face and stand on his own two feet. "I really am; he showed me what a gift life is without intending to. I want to live in a way that would make him proud."

He took a breath of soft air, protected. No, he was alive. Be grateful to be alive. Mellow banana and sweet cream, an ephemeral taste. He curled his tongue, finding nothing there. Confusing, as fermented tofu that smelled repugnant yet tasted so luscious. His heart beat just the same, but something felt wrong. No, maybe not wrong, just different. He was in a cold space... a room of a concrete building in the basement, a faint tinge of disinfecting cleaner everywhere, a few old bloodstains, approximately a cube in shape with metal freezer drawers in two of the walls that held twelve human bodies. Wait, what? His eyes weren't open.

Don't worry, that's normal.

What was normal about this? Tasting things that weren't there, knowing he was in a morgue without opening his eyes... a morgue? Naoki opened his eyes, finding things painfully bright. Dark lines, faint form of a hospital bed (he knew that form from visiting sick relatives in hospitals, it usually wasn't good times). Bitter and unripe fruit, or was it fear? Think, he needed to think and figure out what was going on instead of just feeling. He pulled one knee up and put his arms around it. A soft thin mattress was under him, comfortable without being comforting.

After several minutes of keeping his eyes to a slit, he was able to open them fully and be more aware. And the sight was what he expected; he was sitting on the edge of a patient's bed, up against the wall of a morgue. He didn't know why, but he'd known that. What he hadn't known was how different his body looked. His black capris were still on, but all the rest of his clothes were gone. Even his shoes were missing. That left the bizarre tattoos on his skin highly visible.

Were they tattoos? They covered his body with thick black lines with shimmering blue accents. Circles on his chest, lines straight from his torso down to his ankles, rings and lines around his arms. When he touched them, they were slightly raised but felt like normal skin. There was something else too, something he sensed but didn't see. Naoki rubbed the back of his head and found it on his neck: a large hard horn.

Anticipation for a festival, tears for a funeral, wonder at his aunt's newborn daughter, pain at a demonic parasite piercing right through his eye...

Naoki winced, but realized that he was seeing out of both eyes. The left one did feel tender, where the thing had entered. When he put his hand over that eye, he knew the parasite: a magatama called Marogareh. It transformed his body into that of a demon, although his heart and mind remained that of a human. Although, it was an incomplete transformation in other ways. Marogareh was only one matagama, there were others out there that he should look for. That was his new reality.

It seemed preposterous when he took his hand off. But looking at the shining lights on his hand, he knew it was real. Not only had he witnessed the death of the world, but he had been granted a rebirth of his own. He had no idea why; it was irrefutable fact proven by his new characteristics.

This time, it wasn't one death; it was the death of everyone he knew and didn't know, save Yuko and himself for certain.

As tears came from his eyes, he remembered all kinds of senses... no, he tasted them. Curry cooked with his classmates, fudge that his cousin had wanted to share, a sweet fruit cake for his mother's birthday, toast and eggs his father made for breakfast, all those people gone. He'd never see their faces, talk and laugh with them, never again. There wasn't enough grief for them all, and maybe he was going insane realizing all this because he was thinking about food so much that he tasted it.

It was difficult to tell how long he was in there. There was no clock, he had no watch, and his horn gave him odd properties of time like a moon phase that seemed far too swift. Still, time marched on however it was measured and he was alive. His grief was still there, but he'd find no answers waiting here. Not even solace, given that this was a morgue. Naoki dropped his bare feet to the floor and spent a moment making sure he had his balance. There was still a feeling of being different, but moving around ought to correct that.

When he passed through the door, he felt something from his horn. His vision blurred as he saw without seeing. This was a wide crooked hall in the basement of Shinjuku Medical Center. In many rooms, occult energy saturated the air, like how the room he left behind had a feeling of beginning even though it was meant for ending. Dozens of people had died here in agonizing rituals; someone had invaded this basement violently only to meet with defeat. A few ghosts lingered here; a massive storage of knowledge was kept in a room across the way. That was the room where he'd met the enigmatic man and his demon. A living being was there, but not the same person. The door to the annex basement was still locked and there was something strange about the elevator.

Naoki felt woozy and put his hand on the door frame to steady himself. He'd only just stepped out of this room, how did he know so much about this hall?

Don't worry, it's a sense you have as a demon.

"Don't tell me not to worry, Marogareh," he whispered, his words tasting strange. Had his voice changed? His body had changed, so it might have.

Once the sensation of getting all that information passed, he looked around again. There were bloodstains on the floors and walls. Some boxes on a cart had been cut open with a blade, spilling their contents. It was mostly papers and styrofoam pellets. From that, he could believe terrible and violent things had happened here. He'd already suspected that before meeting with Hikawa and Yuko, given that he'd walked into an operating room with blood on the table and an occult symbol below it.

A faint blue form was ahead, like a person waiting in a corner. According to his horn, that was a ghost of a middle-aged man. Naoki went over, more to see if that was right than anything. His mouth opened to greet the ghost, but he caught a whiff of something off the ghost. Dazed waiting for something that could not be named, knowing that something terrible had happened without knowing what, not having any feelings of grief because they were missing.

"What are you staring at me for?" the ghost asked, acting brusque to cover his uncertainty. "Or have you been living all of your demon life in a cave? I'm a ghost, that's that."

He ran his tongue across his lips, trying to comprehend this new sense. It got in the way of speaking.

The ghost's attitude mellowed, softening his scent and making it nicer. "Or maybe you're just that new. I don't recall anyone like you going into that room recently. Where did you come from?"

Trying to speak of his home address was coming off the train and seeing that house completely smashed to bits. That had never happened physically. In his mind, that information was utterly ruined. Light of the world's rebirth into an abyssal darkness, a child's eyes revealing an ancient soul. "Uh, there," Naoki finally managed to reply, pointing back to the morgue's door.

"I'm sorry for being rude then," the ghost said. "I probably can't help you. But I heard someone new show up at the terminal there, maybe they can help."

Having trouble finding the words to thank him, Naoki nodded and headed to the terminal room. He hesitated briefly outside it, a lemony sourness of recalling his brush with senseless death. But something in him was certain that this was someone else. He put a hand on the door and braced himself in case another deluge of information overcame him.

A man in a brown suit got startled by his entrance, stepping back and putting a hand to his wrist. There was that immense density of information here. Thankfully, it immediately got filtered out as inaccessible by sense alone. Within the dimensions of this room and the presence of electronics, there was that man. He smelled of rich earth, a curiosity quickly overtaking rightful caution, and a strange burdensome obligation. Naoki could only sense the last was there, not was it was about. So many facts without explanations.

"Oh hey, you were that kid I met in the park," he said, gripping his hat with both hands. "Right? Naoki, wasn't it?"

He nodded slowly. "Hijiri," was all he could say.

Hijiri remained cautious for a moment, but then came over to him. "You've changed. What happened to you?"

Closing his eyes, Naoki felt like something was off about Hijiri. Sure, he wasn't like anyone else he'd met. He wasn't a threat and in fact was more concerned about him than wary. And Hijiri too must be trying to find a foothold of sense in absolute tragedy. "I'm not sure."

"Hmm, you seem human enough, and yet..." Naoki opened his eyes and saw Hijiri flipping his hat around while thinking. "We're both okay, so that's good. But seeing you here, as well as this," he turned back to the device, gesturing him to follow. "This is known by several names, most commonly an Amala drum or a terminal. I've seen such a device in the possession of a powerful man named Hikawa. While this script isn't something most people would know, I've known about it for a long time. And from the information here, it's clear what's happened to us: the Conception occurred."

He nodded his head, recalling that Hijiri had meant to come to this hospital as well. He was a reporter for an occult magazine; not that long ago, he'd given Naoki a sample copy. It was in that magazine that he and his friends had first read of this hospital's connection to the occult. That was... a few hours ago? Or longer, depending on how long he was unconscious.

"I remember a bright light, and then I was here in this room," Hijiri said, moving the top part of the terminal some. "That was, some time ago, I've just about cleared my head to investigate. But according to this, the cataclysmic event took place over a month ago, forty days to be exact. That's far more time than I could have been here."

"I..." there was something he wanted to say. "...just woke up, across the hall. There's no sun. Can't measure time the same."

"There wouldn't be," he said. While the vastness of this change still blanked out Naoki's mind, Hijiri tackled it as a riddle to endure that loss. "Tell me, have you run into any others?"

"Hmm?" What did he mean?

Hijiri took a deep breath. "I mean, any demons?"

There was that strange child and the old woman... he felt like he shouldn't say that. "There's a ghost outside," Naoki replied. "I'm... no. Yes, I am. Am a demon. No, it's..."

Don't worry.

"Take it easy, kid," Hijiri said gently, putting a hand on Naoki's shoulder. There was something comforting to his earthy scent, making his eyes water up again. "From the looks of you, you're a demon-human hybrid. It happens on rare occasion, willingly or not. But don't give up on yourself. You should be the one who decides who you are, and you can do that."

"Marogareh," Naoko said as he thought of it. He rubbed his eyes. "It's a magatama, it ate into my head."

Hijiri patted his shoulder before letting go. "Here, sit down for a bit. I know a few little tricks, like this one," he moved his hands like he was picking up something and grasped a can. "I hope you like this."

Accepting it with a nod, Naoki sat down in the office chair that was there. It was the one that Hikawa had been using, but there wasn't another seat. He popped the lid off and smelled it first. Lemon lime soda, the can was cold and moist to his touch. When he took a sip of it, the fizz tickled. It was different from the phantom tastes he'd been having.

Meanwhile, Hijiri had spun a part of the drum a bit, looking for something. "Magatama, then... it's a demonic parasite that gives its host demonic traits. It must have been painful, but all things considered, you're pretty lucky in that Naoki. A parasite might sway your feelings a little, but it will be a weak push compared to what occurs in a full demonic possession. As it is, it shouldn't be difficult to bring the parasite out of your body and revert you back to a normal human. And yet this world is dangerous..." he put a hand to his chin.

He looked up at Hijiri. Having something real to taste, having someone who knew something about what was going on, or maybe just having someone trying to help, it was calming him down. It was definitely good to hear that relatively speaking, his situation wasn't that bad. Naoki wondered what Hijiri was thinking. When he closed his eyes, he felt more of that puzzle solving, turning a problem around in the mind until the solution was clear.

Hijiri turned back to him. "So then, how much do you know about the Conception? Or about the Scriptures of Miroku?"

How did he explain that? He set the can down on the table to move his hands trying to explain. "I only just heard about that book from my teacher, Takao Yuko. And about what the Conception was actually called, that was after we met in the park. But I've been having odd dreams or visions, something, about the world ending just like it did. And... we're now in a world in an egg, right? With a brightness seed of creation Kagutsuchi and demons are free to roam while what humans were chosen seek the seed of a new world. Uh, I thought it was a weird fantasy, you're just the second person I've told, the other being Yuko."

"You've got the concept of it down," he said, impressed at it. "Perhaps you had some inclinations towards supernatural abilities before this."

"I was, mostly normal," he said, not sure that was the right way to say it.

He shrugged at that. "A lot of gifted folks seem normal until their gift begins to show. But yes, as unimaginable as it may be to most people, the world as we knew it has passed away and returned to an egg, as you called it. It is a raw world of potential and there are going to be many demons. It's a dangerous world out there, even to someone like me who has a lot of insider information on the world of the occult.

"When I was your age, I attempted to become a demon summoner. And yes, those did exist in our world too, just hidden for many reasons. I failed at it, but at least it didn't kill me." He started flipping his hat around again. "I investigated demons and the occult as a reporter, but I don't have the ability to deal with demons directly. I won't be able to survive if I left this quiet place.

"On the other hand, your parasite gives you an advantage out there. The demons will likely see you as a peer. Of course, that still means they could attack you. Fighting between demons is as normal as a game of cards between humans. But you will have some power from your magatama to match them, like enhanced physical capabilities or magical spells."

"I know a place just by being there," Naoki said. "There is an immense density of information here because of the terminal, but I can't know it without reading the terminal for myself."

"That's true," Hijiri said. "Knowing your surroundings like instinct would be a great help. Are you willing to fight other demons?"

"I don't like hurting others, but I will if I have to," he said.

"You can't be hesitant around demons, but it would take some getting used to," he said. "How about we strike a deal? I'll tell you what I know, with more coming as I work on decrypting this terminal. You'll need to know things that other demons will take for granted. In exchange, I'd like you to report to me on what you see and experience out in the Vortex World. Research is vital, but so is having a first-hand account of what's actually happening. Plus if I survive long enough to write about this all, you seem like a good person to hear things directly from."

That is a bargain deal; he can offer you so much more than you can offer him.

"All right, I can do that," Naoki said.

* * *

What did you tell someone who'd recently woken up as a human-demon hybrid? What might have been an idle consideration at one time was now a serious question with that person listening to him attentively. Hijiri could look over at Naoki and still see the boy he'd run into outside of Yoyogi Park. He could also see a strange demon unlike any he knew about, with an incredible awareness of things. Although, it must be overwhelming from the slowness of his speech and the way he sometimes closed his eyes and still paid attention.

_Demon possessions can be harmless to the host, depending on the demon's intentions. I've seen one that was purely beneficial to the human. Parasites are fragmentary beings, but can manipulate their host's behaviors in order to survive. To combine the two... the way it's manifested on his body and in his spirit, it's extremely skillful work. One could call it masterful. The one who could best do this would be... him._

_No, getting involved in this could be a terrible idea if he's involved. But then what about the boy? They would tear his heart to pieces and make him believe it's in his best interests. Their master is intelligent and extremely charming. And my duty is only to witness... still, who else is gong to help him? He could use a neutral party to keep his moral compass from getting too skewed._

"Most of what I can tell you about demons is from myth and the knowledge of demon summoners," Hijiri said. Something in his heart told him to be cautious, yet do what he could to help. "Some of it won't apply much to you, but you should still know it. For instance, there is the matter of magatsuhi."

That got the boy's attention. How much did the parasitic magatama know? It wasn't something Hijiri had heard about, but it had a lot of information on the Amala drum. He'd have to look into that later.

"Magatsuhi is a magical energy that comes from human emotions and thoughts. A person's soul is made up of magatsuhi, but a good amount drifts away from a person on a daily basis. It is drawn to places and objects of emotional importance. Basically, anywhere that triggers emotional responses can build up a lot of magatsuhi. This hospital has much of it, I'm sure.

"And magatushi is something that demons cannot live without. In realms that they inhabit, their own emotions are usually enough. But in worlds that have a strong mundane character, such as where we came from, demons cannot manifest without having a store of magatsuhi to sustain them. Demons are incredibly powerful but in mundane situations, they can be quite powerless. You'll never actually see them in that situation because they can't be seen then.

"One things that demon summoners must learn is proper magatsuhi management. A contract between a demon and a summoner involves the human agreeing to give the demon that energy. It is of such importance that demons will agree to do nearly anything in exchange. Of course, there is danger for the human in thinking it is merely that. If a demon can gain a human's soul full of magatsuhi, they can manifest on their own and do as they please."

A glance at Naoki showed that his lips were moving, trying to get out a question. Hijiri waited on him a moment. "Does magatushi have a taste?"

Not having thought of it that way, he tapped his hat against his hand and mentally reviewed case studies. "I would guess it does. Some lesser demons act as though a craving for magatsuhi is a craving for food. Other demons can tell the character of the person they're dealing with by a taste of it."

"Marogareh gives me knowledge and we taste my own magatushi," he said, his eyes closed now.

A demon who could gain enough power to act in a mundane world with their own emotions would be intimidating. They would have no need for a summoner, thus they couldn't be controlled by traditional methods. This kid could be a monster, no, a nightmare. But, he was currently an innocent teenager. Even with demonic knowledge, he wouldn't be aware of his vast capabilities. It was important to help him, and it may be important now to gain trust in him in case he started to go astray.

_On the other hand, he is far less likely to go around eating humans. That's still different than what most demonologists know how to deal with. Would he even respond to a traditional summoning?_

"That would help give you the ability to face demons on equal footing even if you were born a human," Hijiri said. "There is more to it, but you seem to have an understanding of what it is now. Remember when I asked you about the Scriptures of Miroku? I have only read a few passages myself, but there seems to be an important role that magatsuhi plays in this process. I'll look into it more here; I'm sure I can get a copy of the writings through the terminal.

"Once you feel comfortable in what I can tell you, I think it would be best if you got a grasp on your abilities and new life. You should leave this hospital and travel on your own. That would teach you better than I could. Here, I'll show you how to use these terminal to travel from one to another, should you find one and wish to come back to speak with me. I think I'm safe near the terminals. If I can figure all the symbols out, I can travel to others as well without visiting new ones. It'd simply be easier to identify the home character on a terminal and memorize those."

Even with those goals identified, they talked for a while longer to figure out what Naoki knew and what he should know. He still thought like a human; very few demons showed true curiosity in learning. But a demonic parasite wasn't something Hijiri had ever read about, so it was difficult to say how this would progress.

* * *

Find out what you can do by leaving the hospital. It made sense. As he left the terminal room, Naoki knew more about demons than he thought he ever would. He hadn't been studying them seriously, only looking into occult matters on curiosity. But what Hijiri said wasn't enough to know what was going on. He'd confirmed again what he'd been seeing before, but it didn't even touch why this all was happening.

But all of that didn't matter as he walked back to the elevator and realized that the space there was still odd. The door at the other end of the hallway was locked though. Right? He'd only sensed that, but it would be good to check. Something about the elevator made him wary now.

A couple of other ghosts were in the hall; they were distracted and talking about demons. But Naoki hadn't run into any yet, just the ghosts. When he did, he might have to fight them. Even if Hijiri said it was normal, it felt strange to him. He'd spent a bit of time on the wrestling team, but that was all in sport and he'd given it up. From the sound of it, the demons saw fighting as sport too, except one could end up dead.

The door at the end of the hall was different, a heavy steel door made for security. That didn't seem right for a hospital, but neither had the barred door at the other end. There was just the morgue and some operating rooms down here. Maybe it was the occult activities they locked off? At any rate, the door was indeed securely closed. There was a card reader there, but he'd put the basement access card in his jacket. Where had the rest of his clothes gone anyhow?

That's a useless question. Don't worry, just go in the elevator.

The magatama said not to worry, which Naoki didn't like listening to. His life had been fine and normal, right up until he'd entered this strange hospital. But where else was there to go? The terminal claimed that transporting was blocked for the moment. While Hijiri was trying to do something about that, the quickest way out was just walking out. And that meant using the elevator since there were no stairs down here. The doors opened immediately when he pressed the call button.

But that was not an elevator past those doors. He got a whiff of flesh, bile, and things he couldn't identify; he winced trying not to gag at it. Just ahead, the new hallway was an organic passage of living red and brown. It was alien and strangely familiar. Had he been there before? It looked like nowhere in the real world. But then, there were apparently forty days that he remembered little of.

"Don't be afraid, come forward," a woman's voice called. It too was faintly familiar. "My master wishes to see you."

There was a feeling of great power down the hallway. His sense was new, but Naoki could tell that this wasn't someone to mess with. At the same time, it would be unwise to ignore an invitation from them. Marogareh was still telling him not to worry, so he did as it suggested this time and stepped through the doors.

The floor seemed firm, but it definitely gave under his weight in a way that tiles didn't. Some of the passage dipped into a murky liquid. It wasn't blood, but it wasn't pure water either. While it was warm, it didn't affect his feet any to walk through it. Naoko passed slowly through, getting used to the place. There was a great flow of energy around him, giving a red glow to the walls. Magatsuhi, he didn't need anyone to tell him what that was. Seaweed, pork, rice, sushi, chocolate, green tea with a hint of fruit: emotions from many people were in that. The myriad of phantom tastes was enough to make him forget about the bodily scents around him.

A bolt of lightning in the middle of the hall made him freeze. How alive was this place? When his vision cleared from the sudden light, he saw a pair of ghosts in front of him. They weren't like the ones in the hall; these ones had shadowy faces and were smokier looking. It was like the difference between pure spring water and algae-filled pond water. According to his horn, those were Foul will o'wisps, weak to magic and knowing only one skill, Life Drain.

"Magatsuhi," one of the will o'wisps moaned, drawing closer to him. "Me want. Me eat!" Its mouth widened and it stole the energy right out of him.

Marogareh was incensed at that, even making him feel a little of that anger. Naoki punched it away without thinking about it. Thankfully, the hit connected and knocked the will o'wisp back. They were trying to eat him, so it was fine to fight. The other then rammed itself into him, showing how tangible it was by knocking him into the shallow liquid. "Me eat!" it said, drawing even closer with the other.

Without thinking, Naoki kicked it away. The first one backed off at that, giving him a moment to get back to his feet and punch it again. It dissolved into nothing, shortly followed by the second as it tried to drain him. Marogareh was satisfied with that.

It wasn't that bad, actually. Naoki flicked some of the liquid off his hands. If he hadn't got knocked over, he might even be a bit proud at it. As soon as he thought that, he wondered if the parasite was already corrupting him. He wasn't a violent person, at least he didn't think so. The tastes of his conflicted emotions was unpleasant, tart-sweet kiwi and smokey steak sauce. And when another pair of will o'wisps ambushed him, he fought them off as well. It felt so natural that it was disturbing.

"Stop here, if you would," a regular ghost said, forming enough of a hand to wave him onto a rise above the watery passage. A large syringe appeared in his hand. "My master has ordered me to treat you."

"Really?" Naoki asked, stepping over to him.

"Of course." He then reached over and stuck the syringe in him without normal preparations. "We can't have you fainting in your first battles, now can we?"

It pricked for a second, then a wash of cool minty relief came over him. The knocks from the will o'wisps might have bruised, but they wouldn't now. "Guess not."

"There will be more battles before you find the end of this passage," the ghostly doctor said, taking his syringe back and twisting the top off it. "Not too many, we don't wish to overwhelm you any more than you are. Come back to me should you need my services again, no charges at this time."

"Why did I get called in here?" It was only one question of many he had and he wasn't sure he'd get an answer. Maybe not for any of them.

"I'm not one who could tell you that," the doctor said. "In time, it will all be clear."

Naoki didn't like this, but if he didn't keep moving ahead, he'd be stuck in the hospital's basement and wherever this was. His horn could tell him the precise heart rate of the vessels in the walls, but not what this place was called. Even without that, he knew it couldn't be anywhere normal.

* * *

He is a bumbling babe now; just look at how he gets lost to his newly awakened senses. His thoughts are in great conflict. That is to be expected. Thankfully, his survival instincts are strong enough to override rationality.

He recognizes how he is different simply from his talk with the forsaken one, but doesn't yet understand the vast potential his new life gives him. He is afraid. Only natural, he did not choose this. But I can get him to accept it all the same, I'm sure.

Of course, he must accept it himself. Forcing him any further would be just the same as my eternal enemy would do. But it's a fascinating struggle to watch, overcoming his humanity with this new option to be something greater. Many see humans as a confounding mystery, how a creature whose only natural strength is a powerful free will can surpass them. I would have grown bored of existence if it wasn't for them.

They're going to notice him. They're going to do all they can to stop him, either in striking him down or beguiling him with the power of Creation. Even so, I can't always protect him. I'll give him a couple safeguards so he had time to develop in this Vortex World. Right here and now, it's fine to coddle him a bit. He's still hurt with guilt over fighting with these weak but aggressive demons. The scars will alleviate the thin skin of empathy.

And after all that bumbling of his first foray into the world of demons, here he is before me. "We're glad you made it here," my servant says. "You've shown great potential here with the strength you hold from your demonic power."

He's listening to her, but he's watching me. His tongue moves across his lips, trying to better understand us. Even as he gives a slight nod to acknowledge her, he won't take his eyes off me. Wary... you know how powerful I am, don't you? I want to see how powerful you could be. There's been other hybrids in other worlds, just none I've had a direct hand in from the start. Removing the limitations of both human and demon by combining both... I am eager to see what you will do and if you will choose the path offered by me.

But it's your choice, Naoki.

I know you understand, even if I said not a word to you yet.


	5. Demi What?

Finding himself in a normal elevator, Naoki clicked his tongue. That place was dangerous; they didn't have to tell him that. But it belonged to the old man in the wheelchair. He and the veiled woman there must have kept that little passage safe for him, for their purposes. They wanted him to get used to fighting. Was that generous? Even when he'd gone off the path, he got rewarded. Although, he wasn't sure what these small red stones could do. They were like the glass stones people put in aquariums, but he could sense the power of fire within them.

But that old man reminded him of the creepy child who had given him Marogareh. The frail form was a mask for someone far more powerful. In that talk, he had said nothing; he'd done little more than fiddle with the wooden cane in his hands. But the way he watched him reminded Naoki of being a child fascinated by beetles fighting each other. The old man was rooting for him. And there was an unspoken offer to work with them. No agreement or refusal was asked for yet; the offer was simply an option for the future. But an offer for what?

Don't worry, that's for the future.

"Guess you're right," Naoki mumbled, then pressed the button for the first floor.

When he stepped out of the elevator, he closed his eyes and braced himself for the onslaught of information. His horn informed him of things he'd noticed before: the rows of chairs, the large painting overhead (which was an abstract depiction of the Abyss, not something you'd expect in a hospital), the nearby offices. There were a pair of ghosts hanging around, no demons other than himself yet. While there was a door to the annex lobby, it was broken. And there was a huge pile of debris blocking the entryway; there was no exiting the hospital here.

Naoki opened his eyes and saw that it was right. Sometime when... the world curled up, a bunch of dirt and junk had broken through the glass doors and left no hole behind. Not even light could get through that. Maybe he could get the annex doors to open from inside? Isamu might have left the passageway open. Actually, were his friends still alive? They'd been in the hospital too and Yuko suggested it was a safe place.

Deciding to search for them too, he checked on the offices in case someone was hiding there. Then he headed to the stairs, and all the patient rooms on the second floor... a nice thing was that his horn informed him if there would be someone inside a room or not. Behind one door, he sensed a group of demons who were babbling about magatsuhi. When he put his hands and forehead on the locked door, he could even tell that they were pretas, three of them.

With nowhere else to go, Naoki headed for the second floor hall to the annex. It would be a nice spot in the old world; the walls made up an archway of glass that would reveal the sky, hospital gardens, and city landscape. As it was, land filled the sky up until Kagutsuchi's light made it hard to see. It was unsettling, so he focused on what was in here: planters with vibrant green plants, a door with a security stand, and a tiny girl with white butterfly wings. Fairy pixie, nulls electricity, has two spells, one for healing, one for electric.

"Hey there, are you looking for a way out too?" the pixie said in a friendly manner.

The smell of her reminded him of a storm, air bristling and ready to shoot lightning. Or was this more of a gentle shower? "That's locked."

The pixie nodded. "Yeah, some gunky pretas got hold of a pass thingy and somehow locked us all in here. Don't ask me how, they're all idiots. I need to get back to my friends at Yoyogi Park. You seem kinda flabby but, hey, wanna team up and get out of here?"

In the organic space, he'd run into some pretas along with the will o'wisps. They were weak to magic like the wisps, but he had no way to take advantage of that. And having an ally who could heal was surely an advantage. "Sure," he said, ignoring her ill-fitting statement of being flabby.

She laughed at that. "Great, call it a contract until we get to Yoyogi Park! I'm Pixie of the Fairy clan, let's have fun together!"

"Uh..." he had a feeling he should do something. Hijiri had talked about contracts, albeit between humans and demons.

"Aw come on, are you a newbie?" the pixie asked, flitting up to him and pouting.

"Sorry," he said. He licked his lips; it seemed to calm him by clearing out distracting scents or tastes. "I was human until the Conception. Then, I woke up here, about an hour ago."

"Wow, you really are new," she said, having started to fly around and examine him. Naoki held still. "I was thinking I never saw a demon like you before, but I never saw a human like you either. Hmm. Oh hey, are you Demi?"

"I don't know?" But something about it seemed right. "My name is Kashima Naoki."

"Nah, that's your human name, it's no demon name," the pixie said. "Did you wake up in the basement?" When he nodded, she twirled around. "Ah-ha, then you are Demi! Cause I tried to go in the basement a while ago, but something was going on down there and I left. I just heard someone call for Demi. So, you must be Demi."

"It's an English prefix, I think," Naoki said, trying to recall his English classes. "But demi-what? it's never by itself."

"Demihuman?" she suggested.

"Or demidemon," he said.

"Whatever, it's a name so it can be by itself. Let's do this thing right." She flew up to face him and put her hands on her hips. "You gotta say your demon name, your demon clan, and some kinda greeting that suits your type. That's how contracts work. So then, I'm Pixie of the Fairy clan, treat me nicely, okay?"

He nodded. The idea of a demon name didn't sit well with him, but it could be like a nickname. "I'm Demi..." once he wanted the information, it was there, "of the Fiend clan. Let's be friends."

"Ooo, a fiend," she said in delight. "Hee hee, that was cute, never heard that one before. But I think we'll get along. Now let's go get that pass thingy from the pretas!"

He was going to beat someone else up over a thing they had. It wasn't right. But, it was supposed to be normal and the pretas attacked because the pixie lied about having magatsuhi to give them. And he wasn't going to get anywhere without a pass to open that door. Maybe there'd be one in the offices or a patient room; Isamu had to have picked up one and the basement card somewhere. Before he knew it, the fight was over and they had the passcard.

"All right, let's bust on outta here!" Pixie said excitedly.

"Are they just, gone into bits of magatsuhi?" Naoko asked, reaching towards where they were.

"Pretty much," she said. "But they'll come back before long. If they're really lucky, it won't be as pretas again. That's like the lowest of the low, Demi. Except maybe slimes, those could be worse but are mostly mistakes."

They'd killed the pretas, but the pretas would come back. Was that any better? If he thought like a demon, this would be perfectly fine and he was being too sensitive. But he'd not asked to be a demon, even half of one.

Just press on, don't worry.

As much as it bothered him, the magatama was making sense in its own way. "All right, I... I'm just not used to being a demon."

"Hmm, guess so," she said. Then Pixie made a flirty blowing of a kiss. "At least you got me with you! I like tricks, but it's hardly fun to trick newbies. They don't know any better so it's not as fun to see them fooled. Other demons would have way too much fun messing with you."

"Thanks, I guess," he said. If that was true, then he needed to change his way of thinking even if it didn't feel right yet.

"Actually, you are pretty good, better than I expected," she said. "It could be fun to get a bunch of followers and become stronger than anyone else. They might not be as great as fairies, but you can talk with demons and convince them to join your side."

"Even if they ambush us?" Naoki asked.

She nodded. "Most would pause to talk if you started talking first, it's just common courtesy. And you'll have to butter them up with compliments or gifts. But once a demon makes a contract to help you, they won't go back on their word unless you both formally break it." She frowned. "Rude contract breakers are the worst! Keep that in mind and don't do it. You can fuse your partners or even dismiss them, but don't break the contract rudely."

"Fusing them?"

"There's a lot you need to learn about being a demon," she said, pitying him. "And it's best to learn while doing, so let's go get some friends and bust out!"

The annex of the hospital looked exactly like the other part. More doors were barricaded here, including one emergency exit blocked off by a stack of couches and chairs. There were more demons as well, wandering the halls and ready for a fight. The blue light of Kagutsuchi was coming in strongly now; Naoki could feel it through his horn, stimulating like caffeine. In these conditions, it was getting fun to fight.

The first few times he tried talking to the other demons, it didn't go well. Another one would interrupt, or they'd get annoyed when he found himself stuck for something to say. He usually didn't have trouble speaking, but then he usually didn't have to deal with so much new information trying to be learned at once. Then he finally got a paper doll kodoma to listen to him. "Would you join us?"

"Hmm, you wanna pway wif me?" the kodoma asked, reminding him of a toddler who'd just learned to string sentences together. It even bent itself up with its hands on its knees. "Umm, not gonna kidnap me?"

Behind him, Pixie giggled. "No," Naoki said gently, like he'd talk to his cousins. "I'm asking you to come along, not forcing you."

"Um, you seem nice." the kodoma uncurled, fluttering closer. "Mm, I know! Pway tag, you it!" It swatted him playfully, then flew off.

Smiling, Naoki chased after it. The kodoma giggled as it realized the game was on. But no matter how nimble it was for a spirit in the form of paper, it wasn't quick enough to get away from him. "Got you," he said.

"Good!"

The movement of large fins caught his attention then. He was in a hall with windows down into the lobby, just like the main building. As soon as he visually recognized it as a manta ray, he learned more about it. Of the Fallen clan, stronger than anything else here... in fact, he was strong enough that Naoki couldn't identify much about him.

Wadatsumi.

...save that this demon held onto a magatama. An intense craving came over Naoki even as he had a horrifying flashback to Marogareh in his eye. "Forneus," he barely said.

"Huh, oh yeah," the kodama said, flipping around. It then fluttered back behind him. "Big bully, wules this place. Stay away."

"That guy?" Pixie showed up and hovered near the window. "I saw him a while ago and he's completely batty. He is pretty strong, though, with quite a reputation."

"I'll beat him." It took a moment for Naoki to realize that he'd said it. Forneus had Wadatsumi, that was all that mattered. Well, he was also guarding the only apparent exit to this hospital. That counted.

"Reawwy?" the kodama babbled, shyly coming around his side.

"Of course," he said.

"That's what I like to hear," Pixie said, clapping her hands.

"Uh, wait, maybe I can help?" the kodama said. "Or not. But big bwo 'gami would help! I help get big bwo's help."

The kodama had a wind spell and a healing spell. It could help too. "All right, so will you join us?"

"Sure," it said, waving its whole body. "I'm Kodama the Jirae, I follow you."

Naoki nodded. "Good. I'm Demi of the Fiend clan, glad to have you along."

"Whoa, fiend? Scawwy." But it had agreed to the contract, so it kept close to him.

"I'll try not to be too scary," Naoki said.

They had to go to the annex basement to find Kodama's friend as well as get access to Forneus. There were several large shikigami demons down there, something that fascinated Naoki. Sometimes, he had folded little origami guardians for his cousins or their friends if the kids were scared about something. It was something his father had done for him. These shikigami had heads larger than his torso, with long crinkled tails behind them.

"Big bwo!" Kodama fluttered over to one of them; it had a patch of black text near its ear. "I find new fwiend! Demi's gonna whoop big bully!"

The shikigami parted from the others to check them out. "Is that so? You mean to challenge Forneus?"

While they weren't involved yet, the other shikigami paid attention. Naoki nodded. "Yes."

It chuckled. "You have guts; he uses ice and hates electricity, but none of us have managed to defeat him for control of this place."

Did they try alone or as a group? Because there were five of them just in this hall. They should be able to overwhelm one demon. "I'll still beat him."

The shikigami nodded. "Well then. Punch me. I want to see if you have the power to protect this little kodama."

"All right," Naoki said, readying himself. Marogareh released a burst of energy as his fist met its mark, giving a satisfying crumple of thick paper. He'd put a fist-sized hole through the origami demon.

"Who, big bwo, you okay?" Kodama asked, twirling around in worry.

"Heal him," Naoki said. The kodama warbled and sent shimmering magic over the shikigami. The tear got patched up as good as new.

The shikigami laughed. "You are more than you appear to be. Demi, was it? I would like to assist you as well. I am the Brute Shikigami, I will serve you for now."

So it wasn't a set formula, it just needed the relevant information. "Thank you, I am Demi of the Fiend clan. I'm glad you'll help us."

With Forneus being vulnerable to electricity, Naoko thought they could challenge him soon. Both Shikigami and Pixie could take advantage of that. He wanted to make sure this group would fight well with him, so he challenged the other shikigami. They were happy with that even if he and his demons kept defeating them. Seeing that, he realized that he could let himself have fun.

The trouble came when they got to the small hallway outside of the annex lobby. Another tiny winged girl was here, but he sensed she wasn't of the Fairy clan. She was a jirae like Kodama, specifically a hua po. She specialized in fire, which made both of his paper demons vulnerable. However, she was vulnerable to ice. She might be stuck here due to Forneus.

When she giggled and started to cast something, Naoki held a hand up and interrupted. "Could we talk first?"

The hua po stopped her spell and tilted her head. "Huh? But the light of Kagutsuchi is getting so strong. Give it a couple minutes, I wanna have fun!"

She was right; the blue light that came in through the windows was brighter than it had been before. Marogareh seemed to be anticipating it. "Well then I'm going to challenge Forneus at its full strength," he said. He was getting bold in this, but right now, it felt right. "So while this would be fun, I'll have to pass for now."

"Are you crazy?" the hua po asked, impressed at his declaration.

"No, he strong!" Kodama cheered.

"He's not any crazier than a normal person," Pixie said.

The hua po sniffed. "Well you fairies are all mad, all of you! Then again, mad people are entertaining." She turned and flew off towards a ghost in the hallway. "Hey, hey, you! This guy here says he's gonna smack down Forneus."

Briefly, the ghost appeared as a man. "Seriously? There's no way; you'll get frozen up and shattered before you know it. Hah, I'll give all my money to a person who could really beat Forneus."

"I'll hold you to that," Naoki said.

The hua po laughed. "All right, I gotta see this match! Go on, go fight him under the full light of Kagutsuchi! It should be fun either way."

"You shall see," Shikigami said confidently.

While that got rid of the momentary issue of fighting the hua po, it put more pressure on him to fulfill his words. But as Naoki glanced at Katugsuchi watching the world, he felt completely confidant. Forneus was strong, but Naoki was stronger than he'd ever been. Following his horn's guidance, he found the ghost of a female doctor in a nearby room. She agreed to heal him and his three demons, having overheard his intentions. A few other hua po had gathered by the time he, Pixie, Kodama, and Shikigami all entered the annex lobby. Kagutsuchi was at its brightest and he felt a faint calling from Wadatsumi. He had to win here.

"What's this, who are you?" Forneus asked, changing his course to face him in the middle of the room. "Have you come to pay your respects to me?"

"No," he replied. He was about to say that he was going to leave.

"Then you must be after the magatsuhi too!" Forneus yelled, beating his fins in rage. "I won't let you take it, this hospital is mine! I will crush you for thinking you could challenge me!" It blasted him with ice, cold with anger.

He'd told the others how to handle this. Kodama was to hang back to heal, attacking if everyone was okay. While Pixie could heal too, he wanted her and Shikigami to focus mostly on their Zio spells. His only weapons were his fists, so he was best off as close to Forneus as he could get. But the ray hovered in the air, at a height that was awkward to punch up to. His fist was not having the impact it should.

Frowning, he took a step back while two magical bolts struck Forneus. The way he floundered in pain was more how things should go. The spells stunned him, leaving him wide open to any attack. But he was still up there. Naoki grabbed a nearby chair and flung it at Forneus' face. That brought him down towards the floor, leaving him in a perfect range...

...there was a little white worm-like insect crawling inside the crown, or maybe it was like a scorpion, but what it was like didn't matter when it sprang up and crawled in through his nose...

They called Forneus a big bully, so it was okay to smash up his stupid face completely, right?

"It's unwise to get unnecessarily angry," his grandfather said. Naoki's cheek hurt and embers from an argument at school tried to burn within him. "But humans are not innately wise, you must learn it. Put yourself in another's shoes and try to know why this occurred."

Maybe Forneus didn't know he had Wadatsumi. Maybe he had orders not to let anyone leave. More likely, he was paranoid about losing what was his. Or what he saw as his. He was the strongest demon in the hospital on his own, but he couldn't pass through the halls. He probably couldn't do anything about the pretas that had locked off the main building. As such, he only ruled the annex lobby. How dumb is that?

He was the strongest demon around, so it was his right to claim ownership. But you led the effort to defeat him. You crushed him. Therefore, you are the strongest demon in the hospital and it is your right to claim ownership here.

His grandfather chuckled as he heard about what had happened. "A clever move can destroy brute force."

Is this really right? Shikigami asked me to punch him; Forneus was in pain, I heard him through the pain of Wadatsumi seeking out Marogareh within, urgh, and his blood and my hands. And the bright light of Kagutsuchi filled my mind... who was that? Was that really me? Oh god, what's happening to me?

Don't worry. It's normal, we will be one with you and bring you more strength than you could ever dream of. We will be united; it will be amazing.

Naoki's face felt warm and he wanted to clench his fists up and fight. But no, he didn't want to get in trouble at school. He didn't want to bring the shame of having a troublesome kid to his parents. As much as their words hurt, it wasn't worth it to return with brute force. He had to find some clever move to undo them. What would his grandfather do here?

"You should leave the hospital and travel on your own. That would teach you better than I could." And he set out to do so by beating up a sea spirit over a bug he wasn't aware of.

"Why did I do that?" Naoki mumbled, his mind starting to clear out. The strength of Kagutsuchi's light was waning, he could feel that. As memories of the battle came back to mind, he didn't recognize himself even though he knew he'd been that brutal. Horrifying and thrilling, overripe fruit and spicy sweet; this was wrong, this was who he was now. But he shouldn't be.

Don't worry, you're only causing yourself more agony by worrying.

"Hey, are you finally getting up?" Pixie asked.

He opened his eyes and saw her kneeling on the arm rest of the couch he was lying in. "Need rest," Naoki mumbled.

Her wings hummed slightly as she beat them. "Okay, if you want. Man, you were super cool there, at least until you fainted on nothing after you won. You wailed on him with that chair and made him regret being against you!"

Licking his lips to clear his senses, he focused for a moment on what he should tell her. He wanted to say something about not making it sound cool, but she wouldn't see it the way he did. "He had... my magatama, Wadatsumi. Need to recover... from magatama."

"Uh, sure," she said, puzzled but taking his word for it. "Is that why you seem a bit stronger? Like icy, you took like no damage from his last desperation spell even though it made it snow in here for a couple minutes."

How long had he been out this time? "Yeah. Magatama is my power. It's scattered across the world now."

"Well that stinks." Pixie hovered over and patted his forehead. "If you get more power off it, you deserve a rest. I won't let the others disturb you."

The magatama were changing him even if he had a better grip on himself now. Did he really want to search them out?

* * *

Word spread through the hospital quickly: Forneus was dead. The new ruler was Demi, but he was asleep now and wasn't to be disturbed. While some weren't sure if this would be good or not, Shikigami felt it would be good for those here. After all, Demi intended to leave and the rest would be free to do as they liked.

By the time Demi woke back up, a full cycle of Kagutsuchi had passed. "We should move on to Yoyogi Park," he said.

Now to see if he would remain as kind as he seemed; Shikigami was worried about this. Demi was a young fiend, but no sane demon wanted to make any fiend mad. They could make one suffer beyond death. "Pardon us for asking, but little Kodama and I would like to break the contract since we helped each other defeat Forneus."

He didn't get angry, which was a good sign. "You want to stay here?"

"Yes, sowwy," Kodama said, curling its knees up into its arms. "Planters!"

"The kodamas have lost the trees they are meant to protect," Shikigami explained. "But there is a garden here, and planters in the annex hallway. This one takes care of the latter. As for me, I have a contract with Kodama myself, to help protect it. There are many powerful demons out there, so it's safest for Kodama to stay here under my watch."

"Ah." He closed his eyes and his pixie friend came to whisper something to him. "Yes. I release you both, Kodama and Shikigami, from our contract. Thank you for your assistance."

"I release you, Demi, from our contract, as it was completed," Shikigami said.

"Contact gone, Demi, it was fun!" Kodama said, which worked due to its personality. "Fwiends come back sometime, pwease?"

"We might," Demi said, smiling slightly and tickling the kodama.

"Oh hey!" One of the hua po came into the lobby, pulling along a ghost. "Before you go, don't forget this guy!"

"I'm not going with them," the man said. "I'll leave on my own."

"You bet we couldn't," Demi said. He didn't seem malicious or vain; he was definitely a lot calmer now than in battle.

The man tried to keep silent, but the hua po snickered at him. "Fine, I'll keep my word," he said, producing a coin bag and passing it over. "Man, I gotta escape poverty before I escape this place."

While Demi didn't respond, he did stare at his hand a moment when he shifted the coins and bag into storage. Maybe his peculiar traits were part of having once been human. Shikigami still felt Demi was admirable for a demon.

The hua po flew closer to Demi. "Whaddya say, aren't I cuter and cleverer than her?"

The pixie fumed. "Ooo, don't you try that, jirae!"

"But I bet he'd rather be traveling with me now, right?" the hua po said, waving to Demi.

Demi took a deep breath while the pixie snorted at her. "You'd both be helpful in different ways," he said, deliberate with his words. Even the markings on his face shimmered more energetically as he tried to not annoy either. "What say... you come along at least to Yoyogi Park and show your strengths? Are you both okay with that?"

"It shouldn't be that far off," Shikigami said. Personally, he was glad that the hua po seemed more interested in leaving the hospital than sticking around. They liked to scare the kodamas too much.

"Sure, it'll be no contest," the hua po said.

"Yeah, because I'll certainly be better," the pixie said, turning her nose up at her.

Once they confirmed that new contract, Demi and his two winged companions left the hospital. "Is he gonna be in twouble with them?" Kodama asked.

"Probably," Shikigami said.


	6. It's Not A Love Triangle, I Swear

Was it a bad idea to let Pixie and Hua Po compete like this? Naoki had thought that it would happen whether he liked it or not, but the jirae's fire spells could come in handy. Especially since he'd let Kodama and Shikigami stay behind; having a group traveling together did seem safer. Hopefully, the unspoken rules of having a contract would keep them from being too disruptive (although he wasn't too sure what such rules would be as a result of them being unspoken).

The two of them had already started bickering when they stepped outside Shinjuku Medical Center. He couldn't pay attention as his horn was drawing information on their surroundings. With all the damage around them, only the hospital was safe to enter in this part. Nothing was living aside from demons and the plants the kodamas were watching after. Kagutsuchi was at 6/8 waning, the expanse was too large for him to get a good mental map of even though this was only a portion of what Tokyo had been.

Once his horn settled down, he crouched down and scooped up some of the sand. It looked orange-brown from a distance, but up close, he could tell it was made up of many particles: concrete, steel, glass, plastic, copper, shell, wood, bone, and more. There was a tiny tooth in there, from a mouse. "This is ashes of the city," he said.

"What, the sand?" Hua Po asked. "But that stuff's everywhere! Some parts are pretty deep with it too."

"Tokyo was bigger than the Vortex World," he said. And the Conception was enough to reduce most of it to sand. Naoki squeezed his eyes shut, feeling like the slightest push could throw him into rage or grief. The sand kept slipping through his fingers.

"It could come back," Pixie said; he could hear her wings nearby. "The world's gonna be reborn and since all the potential Reason bearers were here, Tokyo should come back with the world. And if the right Reason comes about, we could live in the world too."

"That would be the best because then I could be a super pop idol!" Hua Po said.

"Can you even sing?" she retorted.

"Of course I can, but looking the part is more important," she said, making a catwalk pose in the air.

"I'm going ahead," Naoki said. If they kept squabbling, they'd not get far. "Are you coming along?"

"Yes!" both of them called, flying after him immediately.

As he walked out of the cluster around the hospital, Naoki thought about how this had all been one flat area, full of streets and buildings. One should not be able to see Yoyogi Park from here. But there it was, sitting on a slope upwards. The only thing between them and the park was a chasm of some kind. Boulders and other chunks of land floated within that black void.

It still shouldn't take long to walk there, even with arguing company.

* * *

The mass of gray-clad manikins quivered up the highway ramp; they'd been ordered to march but seemed incapable of doing so. The cold blue light of Kagutsuchi shone down on them. Did it pity them or did it not care? It felt like Kagutsuchi could see all.

A hefty club thumped behind them. "Come on, get a move on!" the gray oni bellowed. "It'll be over quicker if you just get going." Of course, the march wouldn't compare to what was awaiting these dolls at their destination.

"Man, why do we got to escort these uglies?" another oni asked. "They're weaklings that anybody with muscles can shove around, and they smell." Even so, they produced magatsuchi like no one else in the Vortex World, save perhaps the humans that were under Kagutsuchi's protection. That made manikins ideal for Gozu-Tennoh's plan to gather energy for the Mantra's ideal world.

"It's not something that would appeal to any babes, that's for sure. We're the strongest of the Mantra aside from our leader! We ought to be doing good stuff, like smashing up those prissy Nihilo stiffs." It'd be harder since Nihilo scurried around like roaches, hiding in their holes and working out of sight. But it'd be more satisfying to smash them than to escort these dolls.

An engine's roar built up in the distance. Ongyo-ki, leader of the four oni, moved along the waddling whimpering masses to see what was up. As the lead manikins were about to step onto the highway itself, a blaze of spinning fire and trailing smoke swept into a wide turn to come to a stop right in front of them. The manikins near the leather-clad skeleton tripped onto their hands, knees, and bums at that, causing those behind them to bump into each other and trip themselves. The skeleton laughed at that.

"Get lost!" Ongyo-ki shouted at him. "These manikins are the property of the Mantra, so if you mess them up, we'll be messing you up in exchange."

"You think you can take me?" the biker asked smugly. "Nah, keep herding your sheep. Just stick them to the side cause all highways belong to me." He then sped off the way he'd come, laughing as he went.

"Boss, you gonna let that shithead get away with that?" Kin-ki called over while the other two yelled at the manikins to get back up and move.

Ongyo-ki grumbled. "Hmm, let's get these sheep to their pen first. On the way back, we'll punch that smug grin off his skull. He'll regret ordering us about."

* * *

What did he see in that Hua Po? Sure, her Agi spell was torching the demons out here, but she had a vulnerability that she as a pixie didn't. Hua Po was vain, boastful, and flaky, trying to provoke a fight even though they had a contract with the same guy. Pixie and Demi could have crossed this distance without her.

However, it might be over already. Yoyogi Park was a fairy fortress, all fenced off for them with only a few small passages to enter from. They had to watch out for other fliers (like this stinking Hua Po), but Pixie was sure there were defense plans already. At the moment, there was a troll and a high pixie near this entrance.

"Yay, we're here!" Pixie said, flying ahead some. It was a relief that her scouting mission was finally done. Although, did she want to leave Demi with that girl? It might be like admitting defeat.

"Fairies only!" the troll bellowed, beating its chest.

"Yeah, what'd you go bringing those guys along for?" the high pixie asked.

"Ignore the jirae, but this guy Demi helped me out a lot," Pixie said. Demi had walked to her side, staring up at the troll. Hua Po harrumphed and turned aside. "I had a contract to come here with him. So, I guess this is goodbye."

As she'd hoped, he left off his impromptu staring match to look at her. "That's too bad."

"Well I can take good care of you from here on out," Hua Po said flirtatiously, trying to jump in.

Pixie ignored her. "Oh? It sounds like you're reluctant to leave me behind." Hua Po glared at her from behind Demi's shoulder and it took all her willpower not to smirk.

"I'd like you to come along," Demi said, after a moment figuring out his words. He was a bit slow that way, but he was cute and could be incredibly powerful. An ally like that was too good to give up so quickly.

"Well if you feel that way, who am I to refuse?" she said, winking (mostly at Hua Po in victory). "I should pass my report along, but we can go soon."

The high pixie chuckled, seeming proud of her for showing up Hua Po. "I can take it from here. Even if he's your friend, we'd rather not have others outside the clan getting in."

"Sure thing," Pixie said, turning to her.

"That's fine," Demi added, turning back to the troll. The troll stared back dumbly.

"So, uh, you were the one who went to the hospital place not far from here, right?" the high pixie said.

She nodded. "Right. I had some trouble getting locked into part of the building, but Demi here helped me get out. There's some gardens still over there, but a group of kodama have already claimed them in place of trees. And they've even got a group of shikigami protecting them! So that's a loss."

"Too bad, most of the plants here died already," she said. "Who's got claim to that place?"

"Demi does! He's a fiend, and he led us to beat up the one who'd claimed it before, Forneus. But he's looking for some humans now; you seen any?"

She put a hand to her chin. "Not myself, but another guard here said they encountered a human girl with a demon of Kagutsuchi serving her. They got turned away, so they went on to Shibuya."

"Good, she might be Chiaki," Demi said.

The high pixie then looked over Demi. "It's not that much further on, but it was a while ago they would've passed through. Anyhow, are you sure he's a fiend? Fiends are supposed to be horrifically powerful, hand-picked by Lord Lucifer himself."

"Hmm?" Demi finally glanced at the high pixie.

"Well yeah, but get this: he's a total newbie!" Pixie put her hands on her hips. "Like he was human before the world died, and now he's a fiend. So he might not look like a total powerhouse, but you gotta admit, a newbie ought not have the power to knock around somebody like Forenus with his bare hands, even with help from someone like me."

"You got a point there," the high pixie said. "Is he being good to you?"

"Oh yeah, he's super nice when you're not an enemy," she said. "He's even nice to a loser who was totally walled by Forneus," She tilted her head over towards Hua Po, much to her embarrassment.

"Fiends are picked by Lucifer?" Demi asked in concern.

"Of course they are," the high pixie said. "I don't know how he picks them, but they exist outside the demon hierarchy and take orders directly from him. Didn't you meet him as a fiend?"

His eyes closed as he thought about it. "I think so, now that you mention it."

"Are you going to try taking over Yoyogi too?" the high pixie asked with bravado; her wings beat a bit faster. "This is our home now."

Still thinking, he shook his head. Pixie felt she had to step up for him. "Well, he kept a contract with me, you saw that. So we can consider him a friend to the Fairy clan, right?" He nodded to that.

"That's for the king and queen to decide," the high pixie said. "But I'll let them know that he means us no ill will at this time. Is that all for your report?"

"Sure, I got nothing more to add," she said.

Demi then looked back up at the troll. "You have Anhk."

"Ak?" the troll rumbled. They were even slower than Demi, but that was due to low intelligence.

"The magatama," he said, a glint appearing in his markings. He'd been like that when he said that Forneus had one too.

Not good, she didn't want him making enemies with her clan! Because then she'd be a traitor! Trying not to show nervousness, Pixie said, "Oh, one of those white bug things that have your scattered power? Yeah, that thing rightfully belongs to him."

"Did you pick up an actual bug?" the high pixie asked.

"Mm, found a snack," the troll said, searching his chest hair until he came out with a squirming white bug. "Demi a friend? Share with friend." He then offered the magatama without asking for anything.

"Thanks," Demi said, taking the bug. It squirmed even more, so he put it in his mouth quickly. Now what? The last one had knocked him out for a while.

Luckily, she recalled something they'd picked up out in the sands. "Oh hey, remember that weird muscle drink we picked up? Trolls like that, it'd be a good trade."

"Trade snacks?" the troll asked, more interested now.

"Mmhm," he nodded and magically brought out the drink. Pixie thought those things were nasty, and this one had to be even nastier having been stuck out in the sand.

Unlike her, the troll was delighted with it. "Good! We are friends, having shared snacks."

"That was gross, but whatever makes you guys happy," the high pixie said. "Good luck finding the humans."

"Right, thanks for taking the report," Pixie said, giving a wave and then hurrying over to Demi's shoulder. "Come on, let's sneak out before they see how much that weakens you."

He nodded, looking queasy when he turned around. But Demi still managed to walk through the gate and lead them a short ways towards the chasm before he dropped suddenly onto his knees. He put his hands on his legs and held his head down.

"Are you gonna sleep for a whole K cycle again?" Hua Po asked.

"Aw come on, he was human and humans usually sleep longer than that," Pixie said. "You're so insensitive."

"Well if he's gonna be a fiend now, he's got to be badass and confidant to match," she said. "The other ones might kick him around if they think he's not putting forth a good show for their clan."

"That could be," she admitted. Things were generally civil among the fairies, but other clans like the brutes could get very competitive. And given their unique status, the fiends had to be mindful of their reputations.

"So these bug things are his scattered powers, huh?" Hua Po smiled and clapped her hands together. "Then we've got to get hold of them as soon as we can! The sooner he gets past this weakness, the better. How many are there?"

"Who knows," Pixie said.

Surprisingly, Demi uncurled himself and shook his head as if to clear it. "Twenty-four."

"Huh, well you've got three now," Pixie said. "That's a long ways to go. How're you feeling?"

"Better, that went better," he said, getting back on his feet. He was briefly unsteady, but that was it. "Let's move on."

"Yeah, we've got to get you more badass to fit your clan," Hua Po said.

Pixie wanted that, but she didn't want to look like she was agreeing with Hua Po. Luckily, angry cursing kept her from having to respond right then. An incubus got tossed out face first into the sand nearby. "And you stay out this time!" the high pixie called, her eyes glaring like fire.

Sputtering, the incubus pushed himself back into the air. "Aw come on, I'm not going all the way in," he argued. "The fount's right outside your big walls, lemme stay out there!"

"No exceptions," the high pixie insisted. "If you're that desperate for a fountain of life, go to Shibuya. Just leave us be."

"But I know this one is run by a hot chick, what if the other one's got an old hag?"

"That's your problem. Stay out." The high pixie then flew back inside.

"What a killjoy," the incubus grumbled, then looked over at them. "Right? Oh hey, you've got some cute chicks with you."

"Oh yeah, who do you like better?" Hua Po asked. Pixie rolled her eyes; an incubus had no discrimination whatsoever.

"Hey, I said you were cute, not smoking hot like the fount babe," he said dismissively. "Have you seen her, man? She's hot!"

"No," Demi said. "We are going to Shibuya. You could prove her wrong."

Even if it took him a moment to speak, Demi was clever. "Huh, never thought of it that way," the incubus said. "All right, mind if I travel along? No commitments! I'm in pursuit of a babe and nothing else."

"That's fine," he said. Maybe Hua Po would pester the incubus instead.

* * *

Manikin footsteps were light, suggesting that there wasn't much to them. His footsteps seemed too loud with the silence of this hall. A while ago, this area had a dozen manikins at least clearing the building out. Where were they now? And why couldn't he have done more to protect them? Futomimi didn't know; he'd seen the oni responsible in his visions but he'd not known when they'd show up. Or was it that something he saw was unavoidable?

Heavier footsteps came from the turn ahead, someone powerful enough to not care if he was heard or not. So many of his people were suffering because these demons saw them as fitting slaves. Was it really responsible for a leader to keep hiding away while the people suffered? He wasn't being much of a leader. But, something else rose to the forefront of his mind. A group of the manikin children had escaped the previous raids by hiding in an arcade here. Futomimi had told them to hide away again and keep silent. They'd be on their own, but at least they wouldn't be slaves.

At the corner, he stopped as if he'd only just realized the danger. The one who rushed out from the corner wasn't one of oni. He could barely walk in these halls from his formidable height (he might not be able to reach the children unless he crawled). His boots and helm were bronze in color and his cape was long and white. While he carried a hammer with a head like an anvil, Thor swept his arm out to catch Futomimi and shock him into immobility.

"You're a different one," Thor said; his hidden eyes made it hard to tell what he might be thinking. "Hmph. There must be others." His body then shrank, larger than Futomimi but now able to get through the following hallways.

"I..." even his tongue felt heavy, not wanting to move. "I was looking f-for others."

Thor stared at him a moment, maybe glaring. While he dragged Futomimi down the stairs to another set of halls, he decided any others wouldn't be here. They then went through another part of Asakusa searching for other manikins. There wouldn't be, it was just that group of children. Would they be safe for now?

Even as he tried to catch a glimpse of things, Futomimi couldn't tell the fate of those children. He did see the uncertain demon, now walking through the sands of the Vortex World. Perhaps he should pray that the uncertainty leaned to the manikins' favor.

* * *

Why didn't Demi favor her over that haughty Pixie? It made no sense; Pixie barely looked like a girl while Hua Po was a perfect image of a cute girl. Plus all the jerks in the Fairy clan thought they were the best among demons when they were nothing special. Demi was a fiend, a new one, yes, and so he wasn't all that strong or renown yet. But Hua Po wasn't about to let the fairies claim him as their ally. She had to get him to lose this pixie and be more in favor of the jirae.

And now they were traveling with an incubus who must've been blind not to see her true charms. "What's a fiend like you doing wandering around?" he asked.

"I'm looking for people, and magatama," Demi answered.

"Not magatsuhi?" the incubus asked in disbelief. "You're a weird one, but I understand. We can live bold and forward here without a care, so why not take in the sights and enjoy this time to the fullest?"

Wanting to show off for Demi, Hua Po decided to make the incubus think he was awesome. "If you wanna be lazy, sure, but we're going to get powerful in ways you can't begin to imagine. We're gonna make Demi a total badass."

The incubus shrugged. "If that's your pleasure, go for it. But if you want to do that, you've got to surround yourself with all kinds of hot ladies, not just a pair of cute chicks. You're doing good getting them to fawn all over you in a love triangle, but the more you get like that, and the bigger variety, the better. Then all the other guys will be just green with envy."

"It's not a love triangle, I swear!" Pixie claimed, going pink-faced.

"Is that what you think it's not?" Hua Po teased. Meanwhile, Demi had closed his eyes again, like he didn't want to be involved. That wasn't good; she really had to pile up the charm with this guy.

"It sure looks like it to me," the incubus said with a wicked grin.

"I think you got it in the wrong order," Demi said. "A guy who is badass will get an admiring crowd, but the crowd doesn't make him badass."

"But you'd make people think you're badass, and that's a start," the incubus argued. "Oh yeah, and take a tip from me: don't go for sunglasses. They do have an inarguable sex appeal, but what's the point if you can't see the appeal of the other sex as well?"

"But sunglasses are hot on guys," Hua Po said. "Maybe you should get a dark jacket? Cause that would be a cool look. Or one of those big long coats."

"No, can't you see the power in his markings?" Pixie countered. "If he wants to be really attractive, he could show those off as much as possible."

"I'm not losing my pants too," Demi said.

The incubus cackled. "Oh-ho, you say that now, but just you wait. You'll run into a really hot babe at some point and can't wait to lose the pants." Demi shook his head at that.

"Well Shibuya's a hot spot for shopping," Hua Po said, not wanting to let the conversation get away from her. Granted, she hadn't been in this town for a while, not since she got stuck because of Forneus. She wasn't going to admit to any of that. "We're sure to find clothes or accessories to help out the look. Hey, so what do you think would look hot on you?"

"I have no idea," Demi said, not sounding interested.

"He's fine as he is," Pixie insisted. She had to be brown-nosing to get a favored status.

After more discussion of what might help Demi look his part, they arrived at Shibuya. It was a larger cluster than around the hospital, with taller buildings too. Electronic billboards were dark, not yet working. Was someone working on them? Having those back would make Shibuya the liveliest place in the Vortex World. The street was mostly cleared off; a number of ghosts passed through as faded images. Other ghosts were strong enough to converse with the demons there.

"Here we are!" Hua Po said. Then she pointed out there nearer of the two underground entrances. "The Fountain of Life is down there.

"Man, I hope the healer here is hot," the incubus said, heading off without even a thank you.

Not that it matter. She waved her new friend over. "Come on, Demi, you should see it for yourself. This place has a bunch of the basic shops for a demon community, so you should know what to expect."

"All right," he said, following her downstairs. Pixie came along too, unfortunately.

Down the stairs, she noticed that a lot of the human stores were still being ignored. But the shops for demons had been fixed up completely with the proper signs and everything. "Yeah, this is a good place," Hua Po said. "See the glowing glyphs on the door? That tells you what kinda shop it is. Like, that's a junk shop, they're a general kind of store with useful junk and not so useful junk. Whatever the owner feels like selling, pretty much. On the other side, that's the sign for the Fountain of Life, where demon healers reside. They'll heal up all your wounds and even revive a demon you have a contract with. But then, we're both delicate girls, you know? Don't go expecting us to drag your body to a healer, so don't be dying on us now."

"What, you wouldn't even try with a contract partner?" Pixie said.

Then the door to the fount opened up just long enough for the incubus to get hurled out into the hall. He sprawled out on the glossy floor, not caring how it appeared. "Whoa, she's hot and strong! She's gotta be the one for me."

"After she threw you out like that?" Pixie asked, hiding a smirk behind her hand.

"She's just playing hard to get, I'll win her over, heh heh."

"Anyhow," Hua Po said, tossing her head. That wasn't important. "There's a terminal room right next to the fount here. And across from there, there's a Cathedral of Shadows. That's a fun place; you can fuse demons together as long as you have a contract with them both. In return, you'll get much stronger and cooler allies that are just as loyal to you as they were before. I mean, I'm awesome as I am, but I was always curious how much more awesome I could be after being fused."

"I am not about to get fused with you," Pixie said as if the mere thought of that was appalling.

"Well I wouldn't want that either," she said. "But we can make contracts with others and then try fusing. Hmm, what do you think of that, Demi?"

When she looked at him, he had his eyes closed. Had he been paying attention to her tour talk? Demi ran his tongue across his lips. "Could try later," he said, having a hard time speaking. He put a hand to the side of his head. "So much stuff... Iyomante, Shiranui, there's two magatama here." He opened his eyes and looked to the junk shop.

He was obsessed with those bugs. Then again, if her powers got scattered to the winds all of a sudden, she'd be obsessed too with getting them back. "Well that's some good progress," Hua Po said.

"Hmm, do you sense stuff about new places?" Pixie asked. "Cause you always space out even when we just enter a new room."

Demi nodded slowly. "Thanks for the names, Hua Po, but I know all about this structure. Ugh, I've got such a headache from this place, but the magatama."

"I'll help however I can," she said, although she was disappointed that he could simply know about this place by walking in. But he did still need help in battle, so that had to count in her favor.

"Is there a room you can rest in around here?" Pixie said. "We could see what the shop's asking for with the magatamas, but the fountain lady won't let you nap at her place."

Pointing vaguely upstairs, Demi nodded and headed for the store. It was a tiny place with a mess of boxed and bagged snacks for humans. On the small counter, a jack frost was waiting on them. "Hee ho hello there!" he said cheerily. "I'm Heeho the Frost, welcome to my store!"

"You're running this junk shop?" Hua Po asked skeptically. The jacks like pyro jacks and this jack frost were cute, but she'd not admit to that when they considered themselves fairies. They'd be better suited as jirae in her opinion.

"Of course, ho!" Heeho said, swinging his feet off the counter. "I'm going on an adventure to become really cool and strong, just like the Emperor! But I need money first, so I'm selling some stuff I picked up. I've got more medicine than I need, and some of these foods are pretty tasty."

"I'm interested in your magatama," Demi said, slowly like he was trying to hold himself back.

"The hee-whats-its?" he asked, looking up at a shelf where he had the wares he'd brought in displayed.

He pointed out the closed plastic bin that had a label for being an ant farm. "Those bugs."

"Oh yeah, them!" Heeho got on his feet and went to take the bin down. "I found one walking around outside, then found the other in here when I looked for a shop spot. They've got some kind of power to them, but I have no heei-dea how to unlock it. Ho, and one's scarier than the other, so I want two thousand macca for the not scary one and four thousand macca for the scary one."

While Hua Po didn't see a difference, Demi nodded. "The fire one's more expensive? Fine, I think I've gathered that much." When Heeho went to take the lid off, Demi quickly put a hand on his shoulder. "No, n-not yet. I'll, I'll take the container too."

"Hmm, h'okay, if that's how you want them." Heeho didn't say he'd charge extra for the container, but Demi still passed over six thousand five hundred macca for it.

Once they were out of the shop, Hua Po said, "Wow, you've got some restraint to not take them out right away."

"I want to, but let's get upstairs where I can rest first," Demi said. He was weird in some ways, but the potential he had for power and influence among demons could be greater than Hua Po had guessed at first. That made it very tempting to stick by his side even if Pixie stayed along as well.


	7. Accepting Tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be back to check for other errors once the current site hiccup is past; just keeping on schedule.

While the desert had seemed so vast when Chiaki left the hospital, the land that she could access seemed small now. There was the hospital, where Isamu might still be holed up with the weird artifact. There was the park that was ruled by fairies now; they didn't let anybody inside, for any reason. And there was this fragment of Shibuya here.

Ghosts and demons had taken over a club in the area. Many shops lay abandoned while what few were open were perplexed to have a human customer. And whoever she talked to had the same baffling question: what kind of world are you going to make? The old world was gone, did any of them care about that tragedy?! Chiaki liked the idea of being one of the chosen few, but did it have to be for such a terrible purpose?

At least Persephone wasn't bugging her about that. Sure, she'd talk a lot about remaking the world if asked, but she'd keep quiet if Chiaki didn't want to think about it all. "What do you want to do now?" the maid asked.

"I'm feeling closed up again with nowhere to go," Chiaki said, running a brush through her hair. Normal things like that felt right, not like how everything else was wrong. "Sure, this place has just about anything I could ask for, but it can't give me the answers I want. But it seems like the only paths ahead are trying out the terminal network or finding a way around the fairies. As long as there's enough room to walk on, I can get past that void, right?"

"It'd be tough, but we could try," Persephone said.

"Not right away though, I'd rather get some sleep first," she said. "Especially if it's going to be tough; we won't know when we'll find another place or what it will be." Like would the place they found next have showers? She realized she'd been lucky to find such things in both the hospital and this shopping center.

They headed for the ground floor of the shopping mall here. There was a bedding store that, as long as you brought over some blankets from a store nearby, had perfectly good futons to sleep on. This time, there was a pair of fairy-like creatures in front of the door. "Hold it, we can't let you in here," the red-dressed one said.

"And why not?" Chiaki asked, annoyed that these fairies would get in her way. Persephone could beat them.

"Cause our friend's in there," she said. "Well, I say 'our friend', but I'm no friend to this stuck-up pixie."

"Speak for yourself, Hua Po," the blue-dressed pixie said, shooting her a venomous look. But then she stopped herself to look up at them. "Oh, but you're human. Are you Chiaki?"

"Yes, that's me." Maybe they'd heard about how tough she and Persephone were. It'd be nice to finally have some good recognition back.

The pixie laughed in delight. "Ah, great, he's been looking for you! He was, uh," she tilted her head in thought, "he was called Naoki before."

"Naoki's here?" Chiaki asked, anxious that maybe it was a trick.

"Sure, lemme see if..." the pixie started to say, but then the door slid aside. "Oh, Demi, your friend's here!"

"Yeah," he said, rubbing his eyes like he'd just woken up. They were the same gray eyes, that was his face... he looked human. And yet, he didn't. His black markings seemed primitive and demonic, with glowing streaks that betrayed them as unnatural. He was also missing most of his clothes, including his shoes. And when he turned his head aside briefly, she saw a black horn sticking out of the back of his neck. That looked uncomfortable. "Good to... good to see you, Chiaki." He closed his eyes and didn't seem well.

"Right, good to see you again, Naoki," she replied, uneasy. Was it really Naoki? She thought he was familiar, but she blinked and he seemed like a stranger. Like any of these other demons around. But he at least recognized her. "What happened to you? Isamu and I searched the whole hospital for days and didn't find a trace of you or Ms. Takao."

"I..." he ran his tongue over his lips, then opened his eyes and looked at her. "I got reborn, in the morgue there. I haven't run into..." he hesitated, "someone I know."

"Are you okay?" If this was Naoki, he was acting strangely.

"C-could we talk in here?" he asked. "Just us two, sorry."

"Oh my god, why didn't you tell us you already had a girlfriend?" the red Hua Po asked in a huff.

"No," Naoki said, shaking his head and then wincing.

"We're just friends, that's all," Chiaki said. "Sure, I'll be glad to. I haven't run into anyone else since I left Isamu in the hospital."

While he'd asked to talk, Chiaki ended up telling him about what she'd been through: escaping the hospital when that monster ray showed up, searching every foot of this scrap of land they were on, getting ambushed by aggressive demons that she couldn't do anything about herself, having her purse with her phone and cash stolen, learning all these rituals for Kagutsuchi that she was supposed to carry out. In the way he listened, he seemed more like her friend. Naoki was a good listener.

"I just don't know what I should do," she said once she got to a loss in topic. "It's so hard to believe that everyone is just gone, like that little earthquake was really the world tearing into pieces that curled up into this strange place."

"It was that, the Conception," Naoki said like it was an undeniable fact.

"That thing we read about in that weird magazine?" Chiaki said. "Sorry, I lost that when my bag got stolen. It fits what we see now, but it's still so hard to accept as real. But then there's bits of familiarity in these places when it's a totally different world." She sighed, clutching the blanket on this futon. "Kind of like looking at you now."

"I know," he said, then licked his lips again. It was creepy, like he might consider eating her now. "I think like a human, and I think like a demon. When the latter comes out strongly, I feel like I barely know myself. It's terrifying, it hurts sometimes. But it also feels natural, I just... don't know myself anymore. It's still a shock thinking of the Conception too; it's not been that long ago for me since I only woke up a... a couple days ago, maybe."

Hearing that, she felt grateful she wasn't going through what he was. But she didn't want to tell him that, or deny that her own situation was awful. "I know, I wasn't able to do much for a long time trying to understand this all. I'm out of tears for the most part now, but I'm not giving in. I'm searching for something that explains this all. Actually, I was just about ready to move on from here. There's not much more I can find here, I think."

"I'm looking for you all, mostly," Naoki said. "Are Isamu and Ms. Takao still alive?"

"I'm not sure about our teacher, but Isamu was fine last I knew, or cared," Chiaki said. "He got obsessed with those terminals and thinks he can use them like teleporters. Look for them and you'll find him eventually."

"I see. Where did you get that ring?"

"Huh?" Why bring that up now? She held her left hand up where the blue-green marbled stone was. "Oh, it was in one of these shops. It suits me, don't you think? A lot of rings have solid colored gems or stones, all looking alike when you think about it. But this one is different, like me."

"You just took it?" Naoki asked, puzzled.

"Well why not?" she said, holding to the ring tight. "It's not like any of the shopkeepers are coming back. Or anyone." She sighed again. "I mean, it was an impulse when I was feeling really awful, and it's not like I can go shopping as a pick-me-up when there's no one to buy from. And it was just the ring, the rest of the stuff I took was all necessities."

"I suppose," then his eye twitched and he looked up. "Almost."

"Almost what?" she asked, mystified by him again.

Naoki got up from the futon he'd been sitting on. "Kagutsuchi is almost at its brightest. Demons run wilder then, including me. I should leave you while I can still think straight."

"All right, take care of yourself out there," she said.

He seemed like he was disappointed briefly. "Yeah. Good luck to you, and be careful." He then left the futon shop, heading down the hall quickly.

Persephone came into the doorway. "Did he treat you respectfully?"

"Huh?" Chiaki was still holding onto her new ring. "Oh, yeah. That's one nice thing about Naoki: he never was a pervert, not even in the slightest when just about every other boy in school went through a phase like that. Some never left it. That was him, he's just really different. Maybe I'm different too."

"A lot has changed," the maid said, coming in and shutting the door behind her. "You'll feel better after you rest."

"Maybe a little better," she said. But she didn't think this feeling would go away, that something irreplaceable was gone with Naoki changed so much.

* * *

One thing that Chiaki had told him was that there was a gym with showers in this building. Naoki thought it was a good idea to wash up after trekking across all that sand in the former city. For one thing, there was a lot he had to think about and a shower would help. It didn't occur to him until he was there that Kagutsuchi's power wasn't conducive to actually thinking, but he was already there.

"This is the men's room, are you two really coming in?" Naoki asked when his two companions darted in the door.

"Well who's gonna stop us?" Hua Po asked. "Why've they got to separate it anyhow? Is there some mysterious manly thing in here?"

"Not really," he said. There was a bit of himself that was embarrassed to have girls in here when he meant to shower. But the louder voice said to forget about it and do what he wanted.

"Oo, they have big mirrors," Pixie said, stopping in front of the long one over the sinks.

"Maybe you'll realize what a straight figure you have now," Hua Po teased her with.

He really should be embarrassed because this place had a large open shower with multiple shower heads. But Naoki found himself not caring as he set his pants on a bench nearby and turned on one of the faucets. The water was still hot and there was a box of samples nearby. While some of the things in there were questionable, he only wanted some normal soap and shampoo.

Chiaki found him creepy. Maybe even frightening, but the creepy part had been clear to Naoki. He ran his tongue over his lips, reminded of the taste of her magatsuhi. Even though he'd not touched her, he still caught a whiff of her emotions. There was a numbness to her; she had said she was out of tears at this point. Naoki closed his eyes near the spray of water, knowing that he wasn't there himself.

And even though he'd listened to her story, she didn't ask much about his. He'd hoped she'd listen to him, about the voices of the magatama and the way doing anything normal took more focus than before. She hadn't listened. She'd just gone on to talk about herself. Well, she got self-centered a lot, but he'd hoped this tragedy would make her more willing to think of others. Maybe Isamu or Yuko would be more willing to hear him out.

That was selfish of himself too. But then, he wanted someone more neutral to talk these issues out with. Pixie and Hua Po, plus all the other demons he'd run into, were convinced that his being turned into a demon (and a fiend at that) was perfectly fine. Could they understand this inner dissonance he had with himself? They talked about being changed into other demons like it was a great thing. They might think that going from human to demon was no different.

As Naoki rubbed the shampoo in his hair, he began to wonder why it bothered him so much. The strength the magatama gave him helped immensely in this world of demons. He could produce a blast of frosty breath like he was an ice dragon because of Wadatsumi. And now that he had Shiranui, he knew he could do the same with fire. Iyomante gave him a fog that would blur the sight of his adversaries, which sounded very useful. Then he could heal himself with Anhk while knowing the innate characteristics of anything with Marogareh. Already he had a vast array of abilities that surpassed the two demons that followed him. How much stronger would he be with all twenty-four?

And just feel all the sensations he was aware of now just cleaning himself off. The rush of hot water, the smoothing of steam, the way the shampoo spread across his scalp to wash away the dust composed of the remains of the city: there was a tang of grief and spice of slow building anger, but he would have ignored all this before. And even in here where no windows allowed light from outside in, he felt the power of Kagutsuchi in his blood. It was the power of creation, of all possibility, yet it felt so twisted and intoxicating that he wanted to experience some thrill with his newfound powers.

The shower room door did not creak as it got opened. Naoki didn't bother looking, just felt with his horn. It was another female demon ignoring signs that this was the men's room. In an adjacent room, Pixie and Hua Po were occupying themselves by investigating lockers. The new demon knew skills to charm and panic, would not be ruffled by force magic (not that any of them knew the Zan line), and was vulnerable to electric magic (but Pixie was the one who knew Zio). She crept closer with silent paws.

"What do you want, nekomata?" Naoki asked.

"Grrr, how did you know I was here?" she asked, flicking her forked tail.

"I knew," he said, running a hand through his hair. He was sure all the shampoo was washed out now. "This is the men's room."

"Who cares about that?" she asked, coming into the shower area. "Hmm, you seem different. I could tell you some useful things, if you'd like. It's better than all the gossip in the club, I swear. But you'd have to prove you deserve that. Want to do something naughty with me?"

A dish that didn't match its scent and taste... this was some form of mischief. "I'm not into naughty things if you're trying to be suggestive," he replied, still not looking at her.

That didn't stop her from getting closer. "Are you sure about that? Or would you rather tangle with a guy than a girl?"

"Neither," he replied, finally looking at her. "If you want me to fight for your measly bait, I'd be more than happy to show you what I'm made of." The magatama let him know that it'd be a simple fight for him even alone, especially if he let Iyomante take the lead. Her charm wouldn't be able to touch him then.

She purred at him in confidence. "Heh, sounds purrfect, let's rumble." Then she body slammed him into the wall.

The floor was slick with water; his body moved to keep stable without conscious thought of it. Naoki kicked her off balance, then punched her in the shoulder to knock her to the floor. While that hurt her more than either expected, it wasn't enough. He dropped down to grab her shoulders, flipped her with him, then threw her into the mirror over the sinks. Her feline reflexes were barely enough to help her land on her paws while the mirror shattered around her.

Noticing that she was near death, Naoki brought his fist up and made her flinch. "You really want to keep this up?"

"No, no, sorry!" the nekomata squealed, holding her hands up in surrender. "You didn't seem so tough. Oh, but I will tell you: there's a group based in Ginza called the Assembly of Nihilo, they have both the Lord and Maiden of Creation which are really important humans. Commander Hikawa and..."

"Yuko," Naoki said. So he'd find her in Ginza, as well as that cold summoner.

The nekomata panicked. "Ah, you already knew? Oooo... here, take this treasure, I'm sorry!" She tossed a white pearl at him, then bolted out of the shower room.

Although it was small, Naoki still caught the pearl. Wasn't this more like how his followers thought he should be acting? He smiled; it was so natural if he let himself be like this. But it was the full Kagutsuchi that let him be this way, which was much too short of a time. Once its power started waning, his human side would kick back in and probably be horrified that he'd taken this so blithely. He made sure to rinse off any cat hair that might've gotten on him, then shut the shower off to dry and get his clothes back on. Well, what clothes he had.

With the water off, he heard two cheerful voices in the other room. Naoki crept over to see Pixie and Hua Po with their arms around each other while singing drunkenly. He chuckled at that; they'd be just as embarrassed when this light waned. Still, this was normal for demons. The magatama knew that the full moon had the same effect even if they'd never been touched by real moonlight.

His mind started getting hazy once he was dressed and trying to dry out his hair with the hand dryer. Kagutsuchi waned and an argument broke out near the lockers. Running his hands through his hair, he felt like something had been jarred out of place and then set back. He had to admit that the fight was crazy and yet cool, but could he really be like that all the time? It wasn't right, even if the fault was more with her for creeping in on him in the shower.

"I'd never be friends with you!" Pixie shouted, flying into the room he was in.

"That's cause you won't admit I'm better than you," Hua Po retorted, although she was just as embarrassed.

"Well you're not." She then turned to him and hid her face. "It's nothing, okay?"

"I'll forget what happened between you two if you don't ask about what happened to me just now," Naoki said, coming out from under the dryer to check on how he looked. It seemed good enough to head out.

"Why, what..?" Hua Po started to ask.

Pixie stopped her quickly. "You heard what he said, let's just forget it all. It's Kagutsuchi, you know."

"I did hear that we might find some information in the club," Naoki said. "Then we're going to figure out a way to get to Ginza."

"If you've got a plan, I'm with you all the way," Pixie said.

"Of course, that's what we're supposed to do," Hua Po said, trying to be haughty about it. "The club's in the other underground part, so we'll have to go back out to get there. I don't know how you intend to get to Ginza, unless you figured out how to fly too."

"We'll figure something out," he said.

Entering the club meant another assault of information, this time backed by a thudding techno beat. Ghosts and demons that wanted nothing to do with the battles of Conception were here to lose themselves to music and dance. Anything more than that was superfluous information unless he wanted to take over as DJ or get in a fight here. As he licked his lips trying to clear that out, he noticed his two demons were already asking questions. Not the right ones, but they were trying and still competing with each other.

Naoki joined in, finding that most in the club were talking about the Assembly of Nihilo along with another group: the Mantra. These were all second-hand accounts, but it sounded like Nihilo wanted to a world of perfect serenity, whatever that meant. The Mantra wanted to back someone who'd create a world where power equaled authority. Because of their differing interests, the two groups clashed whenever they met. While this was good to know about, there was little about the people he wanted to find. They talked about how Hikawa was either clever or cruel, but the Maiden was a mystery to them.

After a while, he was ready to quit since the music had not changed at all and was driving him crazy. A woman's ghost who had just come in had something different to talk about. "Some weird guy showed up in the terminal room out of nowhere," she said when all he'd done was nod in greeting.

That could be either Isamu or Hijiri. "What kind of guy?" Naoki asked.

"I don't know, but he sounded excited about something," she said. "Like he had figured something out. I dunno, I'm not about to walk in on somebody rambling away like that."

"All right." He looked for the two others and found Hua Po badgering Pixie about having a dancing contest. "I can't stand the beat in here, let's go," he told them.

"Right, doesn't this guy have any sense for variety?" Pixie said, seeming grateful for an excuse to leave.

"But the whole point is to dance like you don't care, and then you won't care at all," Hua Po said. But she left with them to go back to the other area.

Yes, let's go find that Hikawa person and make him suffer for what he's done.

The other magatamas he'd picked up were more aggressive than Marogareh, particularly Wadatsumi and Shiranui. They were helping him battle more effectively, but they encouraged him to battle more fiercely as well. And more often; they acted like he needed to train himself to be more powerful, to lead a more powerful squadron of demons. It might help, but he didn't want to gain that kind of reputation.

All he wanted to do was find the people he cared about and figure out what to do with their situation. Maybe he should go back to get Chiaki to join him. But then, she found him creepy and clearly had no desire to find Isamu. Naoki didn't want to go further down this path of demons and alienate the humans he knew. And Kagutsuchi was supposed to have the power to create a new world. Couldn't it be persuaded into bringing back the world as it had been? Then the deaths of all he'd once known wouldn't matter as they'd be undone. That was more what he wanted.

As he approached the terminal room, he sensed someone with earthy tones to them. That was Hijiri. Naoki felt a little disappointed that it wasn't Isamu. Then again, Hijiri was an occult reporter and had been kind to him even though he was no longer fully human. It was better running into him than Hikawa. Naoki went into the terminal room; Hijiri got startled and took a step away from the device. "Oh, it's you."

"Hello Hijiri," Naoki said. "Good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too," he said, tapping his hat against his palm. "Sorry about that. You seem to be adjusting well, with some good allies too."

"But I'm the better one," Hua Po said.

"Oh shut it," Pixie argued, turning her back to her.

"It's not peaceful, but it's working somehow," Naoki said.

Hijiri smiled, relaxing in their presence. "Just watch for who you add to your team next so that it doesn't worsen things. You could always try some fusion at the Cathedral across the way. Humans have the strongest free will, so we can adapt to situations as they change. On the other hand, demons can be predictable with enough study. Changing what kind of demon it is will change its traits, although I hear some demons who get fused frequently retain more complexity."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Hua Po asked. "You get fused so you can become more awesome, that's that. But you need to be contracted with somebody that the cathedral accepts as a customer, most of the time."

"They should accept you, Demi," Pixie said.

"We'll try sometime later since you two refuse each other," Naoki said. "What did you come here for, Hijiri?"

"Well, it was one place I was certain of when I finally tested out the transport function," he said, looking back to the terminal. "I've still got to track down Hikawa and some more definite information."

"Hikawa may be in Ginza," he said, causing Hijiri to raise an eyebrow at him. Naoki explained about what people were talking about here in Shibuya, with the Assembly of Nihilo and the Mantra.

While listening, Hijiri turned the top ring of the terminal. "Hmm, thanks for letting me know. Nihilo... that explains this character and it's connection to Ginza."

"I'd like to go there since the woman they call the Maiden is my teacher," Naoki said. "I've been looking for her and my two friends. Chiaki's here, but she was put off by how I'm part demon now. And, I haven't run into Isamu yet, but he seems to have an interest in these terminals as well."

"Maybe I'll contact him at some point," Hijiri said. "If I do, I'll let him know you're looking for him. Would you like me to send you to Ginza through the Amala Network? It's a simple system once you know the characters properly."

"Sure," Naoki said, joining him by the terminal.

"We'll be able to follow you by the contracts, so don't worry about us," Pixie said, although she stuck close to him.

Hijiri spun the middle terminal. "All right, let's get you to Ginza. I may join you there later once I know it's safe for me. You should be fine even with a small party like this."

Should he try getting more demons soon? Naoki wondered about it before he felt something pulling him towards the terminal. That was the transport working, right?

Don't worry, it should be fine. We'll make it fine.

He reached out to the terminal and got drawn into a warm light. Then he was flying down halls, surrounded by a flow of magatsuhi. The rich senses of it blanked out his mind briefly, tastes he knew and tastes he could never imagine before. Suddenly, someone snatched away the connection and he was tumbling down. His magatama tried to shift his body to land better and didn't quite make it. He needed a more physically-oriented magatama to do that.

While he steadied himself on the hard glass floor, Naoki drew out Anhk's power to alleviate the soreness from the rough landing. There was a vast ocean of knowledge here. Just like the terminals, his horn cut off its senses for that because it would drown his mind in information. It rolled just out of his consciousness, waves of omniscience.

"Naoki, are you okay?" Hijiri's voice came to him. "Something disrupted the transmission, I'm trying to figure out what."

He opened his eyes and found himself in a vast triangular hall. The surfaces did seem to be made of glass, magatsuhi flowing in and around it. A vast amount of lights lay beyond the glass. "Amala could drive you insane," Naoki said.

"How's that?" Hijiri asked.

"It'd be like wiring yourself up directly to everything on the internet, but more than that," he said, getting to his feet. "I'm okay, I just can't look too deeply into it all."

"All right, at least you're okay," he said. "You seem to be close to the Ginza terminal. Depending on how you're interpreting the situation, it may just be a short walk to the exit."

"Maybe."

"I can pull up a map of where you are... I'll see if I can guide you through this."

It was not a simple walk, nor a short one. The network seemed to be aware of his presence and it did not want him to get to Ginza. Before long, the path splintered into many ways, his connection to Hijiri broke up, and the doorways he felt were right got sealed shut. And all the residents here were jerks. The demons attacked in large groups and the ghosts did not want to talk.

"Hey, sometimes people just want to be left alone," one of them said just because he walked too close to him. "If you don't respect a person's personal space, you'll come to regret it."

"We're just passing by," Hua Po said. "Jerk."

"Let it go," Naoki said, moving on.

"Well you'd better watch it because the next guy might blow up on you," the ghost warned, even if he seemed annoyed.

The next person they ran across was a demon. "Whaaat aaare youuu doing here?" the spectre said, its voice garbled eerily. "Aaare youuuu here forrr MY magatsuuuhi?"

"No, we're trying to get to Ginza, dummy," Hua Po said.

"And if you don't get out of our way, we'll beat you up like everyone else," Pixie said. Which was a crazy thing to think about, but Naoki realized that it was true.

"Noooo, if youuu waaant past here, youuu waant what's miiine!" The spectre snarled; it had a sharp tartness of wild fruit to it. Maybe it was more feral than not? "Youuu won't get it! My friends will stoop youuurrr friends. Come!"

A swarm of spectres surrounded them, far more than they'd faced at once. Naoki clenched his fist, wondering if they'd bitten off more than they could chew here. If he could put himself back in the mindset he had in facing the nekomata alone, he could face this fearlessly. But that was a demon's way of thinking and he didn't want to fall too far that way.

Hell with that all, quit worrying and get on with it. You've got it.

It wasn't good to listen to the magatama too much. But here and now, it was trust them or end up killed in this ocean of omniscience. "You'll regret this," he said, trying to convince himself too that he could handle it.

And something was going on with Pixie too; sparks of demonic energy flew off her. "Yeah, I will not let you harm Demi!" she challenged the phantoms, speaking in two voices at once. The sparks overshadowed her; her power intensified until she emerged as a taller and more powerful fairy.

"Show off," Hua Po grumbled. "What now?"

"Attack as many as you can, that's what," Naoki said, then used Fog Breath himself. Blurring their vision would keep his team from being overwhelmed with attacks; he might as well see with them how far he could mess opponents up with this ability.

Hua Po had picked up a multi-cast version of her Agi spell; thankfully, it didn't clear up the fog like real fire would. But when High Pixie fired off her Mazio, it was much more powerful than that Maragi. By the time he found the limits of his fog (twice, at which point the specters fumbled so much two crashed into each other trying to attack at once), their spells had wiped out a third of the specters. The specters were most weak to Force, which they didn't have any skills for. Naoki still wiped out a third more in one Ice Breath, leaving a frosty sweetness in his mouth.

When all the specters were defeated, High Pixie and Hua Po both cheered. "We could become unstoppable if we keep getting stronger," High Pixie said.

They could, but was that power he really wanted? No, if he could just find a way to reset the world, that was good enough for him. "We do have to survive," Naoki said, mostly to himself. In the real world, he could get away with resolving things peacefully. But this Vortex World was filled with violence. As much as he didn't like it, he was going to have to respond in kind.

"Naoki?" Hijiri called, his voice coming through clearer. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, you're clear again," Naoki said.

"Oo, you should of said no," Hua Po said, grinning at the joke.

"That's good, I was worried about you," Hijiri said. "The connection to Ginza's main terminal looks clear now. It should be the only path ahead."

"Yeah, I see it," Naoki said, already heading for it. He was glad to leave this network area behind him.

* * *

No, you come see me first.

His human side is too wary, afraid of guilt. His demon side is too reckless, intoxicated merely by leaving inhibition behind. Somewhere between the nekomata fight and the specter fight, that is where he'll find his glory. More on the former side, I hope. Be neither human nor demon, for we need something entirely new to break this stagnation.

"We're sorry to invite you by so suddenly," my assistant says, bowing her head. "We will send you to your intended destination in a moment. But please, will you first hear out my master's request?"

He's not as awed as he was last time; he's more sure of me even as he's wary. You must have heard my name somewhere. Yes, Lucifer the Morning Star. Kashima Naoki the Demifiend, we could be great partners if you so choose.

"All right," Naoki says. He'll listen, but he's not about to make any promises. Good, you don't have to. You'll end up doing it in part, at least.

"As you may have noticed, this is a place far deeper in Amala than where you were in the Network. You do not yet have the strength to walk this labyrinth without my master's protection. Should you gain that strength, you would be able to come visit us for yourself from any terminal. Except, the halls are darkened now. My master had eleven candelabrum that lit the Labyrinth of Amala we reside in. Most of them were stolen from their places

"Those who took them now wander the Vortex World, keeping this place dark. The candelabrum react to each other; I will give you the one that remains, Sovereignty. Would you look for the rest and reclaim them for us? If you put them back in their proper places, the labyrinth will be illuminated again and my master will allow you to traverse its halls. If you manage to reclaim them all, then I promise you, we will answer all of your questions at that time."

"Sure, I'll look for them," he says.

You're not committed yet, I can feel it. I'm not worried about that. As long as you accept, then your training will truly begin. My adversary would not trust a plan this vital to free will. I'm betting that I know humanity well enough to get you to ask me for what I ask of you.

Others have denied or failed me. If you deny me as well, I will simply learn from that denial and choose another again. Yet, I know my limitations. Even I cannot adapt as well as humans. I am acting on faith as well, that this will succeed one day.

Naoki, let that be this time and not another.


	8. A Taste of Death

Be quiet; talking would do no good now. Futomimi meditated on the lengthy elevator ride, resolving to keep any fear to himself. Other manikins had seen him as Thor led him through the halls of the Mantra headquarters. For a moment, he felt like trembling as they did. His heart ached as he recalled the turn to despair they had on realizing that he'd been captured as well. Maybe they'd see him as he was, not as great as they thought. If only he could protect them better, erase their suffering.

The elevator opened up, bringing them to the base of many more stairs. Wind blew around them; a stronger push might fling him off this tower. Gripping the chain on Futomimi's neck, Thor wasn't going to let him be lost that way. They ascended to meet up with the leader of the Mantra.

Before they got there, they came across the four powerful oni who had led the kidnapping raids. Futomimi looked ahead, not wanting to show shame but not wanting to look in their cruel faces. However, they had strange black treads on their bodies. A closer look showed that someone had beaten them badly. Who was it? Someone who could help the manikins?

No. His inner power knew that wasn't so. The one who'd humiliated Fuu-ki, Sui-ki, Kin-ki, and Ongyo-ki was a fiend of wild power, but it wasn't the same fiend who had some future connection to the manikins.

"What happened to you?" Thor asked sternly.

"There's some crazed biker on the road to Kabukicho," Ongyo-ki said. "We tried to smash his bike up and get him off our turf, but he laughed and took on all four of us at once. He's a menace, we need to set up a massive trap to waste that one."

Thor shook his head. "If all four of you at once couldn't handle one lone biker, why are you even in the Mantra? Besides, your duties were to get the manikins to the prison and nothing more. You lost a good number of them doing that."

Futomimi was relieved that some had gotten away, but bit his lip to not show it.

Thor snorted and tugged at his chain. "You even failed to capture their weakling leader here. Unless you can come up with a good reason for us to keep easily distracted punks like you around, you won't be a part of the Mantra any longer."

"And just who are you to decide on that?" Ongyo-ki challenged. "We're the strongest oni of them all, of course we belong!"

The door to Gozu-Tennoh opened up right then. "Thor, come forward with your captive."

"Do you belong now, if you're having to wait here?" Thor asked, then pulled Futomimi after him.

The four oni grumbled as the door shut behind him and Thor. Futomimi had seen a vision of the leader of the Mantra before. However, it hadn't properly relayed the sheer scale of the war god before them. A manikin in red chains bowed low on the floor before him, looking like her legs had been crushed to keep her to this spot. Even Thor at his proper size had to look upwards to meet with the seated god's eyes. Futomimi was not even a doll before him; he was a mere insect to be toyed with or crushed.

"I have brought to you the manikin said to be a prophet," Thor said. "He's hardly said anything, but the difference is clear."

"Yes, his soul is unlike the rest," Gozu-Tennoh said, his voice beating like drums over Futomimi's whole body.

Keep calm. He felt like he couldn't speak if he wanted to under this suffocating power. But he could show that such power wasn't everything by keeping brave.

"Hmph, his prophecies must be useless if even he has fallen into our hands," Gozu-Tennoh boasted. "But the power of his soul will prove useful to us, extracted for our goals. Take him to Kabukicho yourself and keep a tight guard over him. Then do what you like with those four outside. However, take care when passing by the fiend that trounced them. That one has his own purposes and will not be swayed to our side."

"Yes, my lord," Thor said.

Futomimi knew he couldn't escape on his own. But if he kept praying, the uncertain fiend might still come to his aide.

* * *

The Obelisk was guarded by three sisters, all powerful enough to be considered low-tier goddesses. Many demons patrolled the halls; traps and puzzles were set up to confuse invaders. However, someone who could bypass ordinary space altogether could get past them easily.

He entered the top room of the Obelisk without being noticed. The flow of power was strong here, reaching out for the star in the center of this world. Underneath it all, there were preparations to pull even more power to this point. A woman was here, left alone in a deep trance.

"You must be the one they call the Maiden of Creation," he said.

Her eyelids flickered, but she did not wake. "You are the outsider Fiend, a harvester of souls."

"That's one way to put it," he said. "I have some questions for you."

"I have not been forbidden to speak with you," she said.

Good, then she might actually answer unless he stumbled on something she was forbidden to say. "I'd like to know something straight from yourself first. Why did you trigger the Conception?"

"A world that loses its creative energy is doomed to die a slow death," the Maiden replied. "Humanity was consuming more energy than the world could produce, doing nothing new with it. The same battles were fought, the same ideas were redressed and presented as new. The world was doomed and we decided it must be put down early to be remade."

Was that what she truly believed? The fiend snorted. "Really? I come from a world was so far gone that it was ruled by the dead. Your world was in no danger until you put it there."

"Perhaps that is so." In this state, she could not know or feel regret. "I saw a world full of sadness and felt that it must be dying to be that way."

No matter how he rephrased the question, she didn't know much more than that. She was the one who'd been manipulated. But with her supposed abilities, she might know other things of interest. "You are aware that I am an outsider. What do you know of the one who brought me here?"

"He is Lucifer, leader of the demons," the Maiden said.

Perhaps his hunches were true, that what they called demons in this place was different from what he knew. "Tell me more about him."

"Lucifer was once the bright morning star, one of the most highly favored angels under God's command. What occurred in the days before the birth of humanity is shrouded in myth, but Lucifer questioned God and incurred His wrath. Lucifer rallied up other angels to rebel; they were all defeated soundly by the forces loyal to God. Thus Lucifer and his followers were cast down from heaven, named demons to forever dwell in darkness. What angels remained with God sacrificed their free will to Him to assure their loyalty."

"Is your God crazy?" Granted, the gods of his world weren't much better.

"Not then, but He went insane some time after that," she replied. "There were other gods who tried to help or abuse humanity. They were all defeated and cast down from divine power. Lucifer was the one who took in all those abandoned by God and leads them in an ever-lasting war to overthrow the one known as the God of Law. Lucifer has long tried to manipulate and corrupt humanity into following him as well, bringing about a world of Chaos where the fallen ones regain their lost glory. As a result, he is known as the Prince of Lies."

"So I've been pulled in as a pawn in a war of gods." He tapped his claws on his arm. "What does all that have to do with the business of the candelabrum?"

"Your role is to challenge and train Lucifer's new protege, the Demifiend. He is a human boy on the threshold of adulthood who was stripped of much of his humanity to gain the body and power of a demon. Yet he still has the heart and mind of a human, along with the gift of total free will. Should he manage to combine the gifts of humanity and demonic power, Lucifer hopes that the Demifiend will be able to break the stalemate of the ever-lasting war. God has created the cycle of Amala to grind down humanity until we are willing to submit totally to Him. Whichever side succeeds in their current gambits may be able to put an end to this war at last."

"Only 'may be able'?"

"That's correct," the Maiden said.

He grumbled. "I've seen this kind of gamble before. And I won't be able to rely on him sending me back home either. Still, I've seen it all before, been the one key everyone desires. Perhaps that's why..."

"Could I ask you...?" she said, her voice finally showing some emotion in it. "Could I ask you to be on his side, that of the Demifiend?"

It was foolish to make promises in games like these, when those in control would sacrifice their pieces for any advantage. But this Maiden had no control of her situation, forcing her to rely on greater risks like this. There was also the Demifiend to consider, given this news that he wasn't even an adult in a role of these stakes.

Even with all the hell he'd been through, there was still a voice trying to do what right he could. The fiend grumbled. "I'll look for this boy next, see what his situation is for myself. But if I do assist him, I will not be cutting him any slack."

"That is fine, no one else will," she said.

* * *

"Oh neat, where'd you pick up that?" Hua Po asked.

Finding himself in another terminal room, Naoki looked at the golden candelabra he had. The white candles were not lit, but there was a shimmering power within them. "Sovereignty," he replied. The power to rule, having authority over your life and others. It seemed fishy. But he was certain now: it was Lucifer who'd chosen him and transformed him. What did he mean by asking this favor? "It was a gift of sorts."

"It seems more powerful than it looks," High Pixie said, looking at it but not willing to touch it. "But what do you do with it? We don't have a base or anything you could use it to decorate with."

"It'd be a waste to only use it for decoration," Naoki said, sending it away to whatever magic space now stored his things. Something that could light the halls of hell wasn't mere décor. "It was an offer that I don't know if I'll take. Never mind it now, we came here to look for Yuko. Isamu too, if he happens to be here."

"Alrighty, and we'll look for more demons to join us too, right?" Hua Po asked, heading for the door.

"Sure, that'd be good," he said. He wasn't sure what kind of demons to look for, aside from those with powers these two did not have. One who knew Zan spells or other Force skills would be an asset since that was a hole in their tactics, but he'd take whoever would join for now.

On exiting the Ginza terminal, they came into a familiar indoors plaza centered around a working fountain. There was more greenery in planters; maybe kodama or similar spirits were active here too. There was a demon in red armor patrolling around on a dark horse. Looking deeper, Naoki sensed that the fountain was relatively mundane, there was a Fountain of Life in this room, some shops and a cathedral were in a connecting hallway, and spirits and demons had some fear here. Some organization kept strict order here, perhaps Nihilo since Mantra didn't seem like the sort.

"What purpose do you have here in Ginza?" the horseman asked, nudging his horse to go near them.

"We're looking for some people, got a problem with that?" Hua Po asked.

"Be respectful, little one," the horseman said sharply, shifting his hold on his lance. "The Assembly of Nihilo keeps order here and you will not act out of line. Any battles or contracts that are conducted within these halls must be done under our watch. And if one of us gives out an order, everyone will follow. Understand?"

Hua Po scrunched her face up and seemed like she'd refuse. Naoki held a hand up to her. He didn't like it either, but they didn't want to cause too big of a fuss now. "Sure, we understand. And if we don't, I'll discuss it with them."

"Good, I advise you take care of your business here and move on quickly." He moved on, back to his patrol.

Once he was out of earshot, Hua Po flew close. "Aw come on, we could've taken him out."

"It's not wise to cause trouble right out the gate," High Pixie whispered from his other side. "We'll see what's what around here and then cause them far more trouble than we can right now."

"Something like that," Naoki said. "It's bad they're restricting contracts too, we might have to leave the building for that."

"Well there might be those who don't mind skirting the rules out of sight," Hua Po pointed out. But they had to find such demons, which meant asking around quietly for now.

There were fewer stores here, although there was a place Hua Po said was a jewel trader. They might have rarer items, but it wasn't useful to him right now with only a single pearl. In that hall, they also found an active bar called Nyx's Lounge. It had a smokey atmosphere lit by a few small lights, filled with the low hush of conversations among the guests. The demon at the bar was an elegant and powerful lady, wearing a black dress with a crazy neckline that plunged down to her waist. Aside from Lucifer, she was the strongest demon that he'd encountered so far.

There was another powerful demon here, at the bar drinking by himself. Naoki felt the man in the white cape wasn't as powerful as the lady, but he was not to be underestimated either. While he only gave them a glance, the lady turned to them. "Hello, you don't seem like the sort to be associating with Nihilo."

"Not yet," he said, going over since she seemed likely to talk. "I'm Demi; we just got here."

"You're not old enough to be hanging around in here," the man said gruffly. "Go on, get lost, they don't serve any milk or juice here."

"Hush Loki, I can serve him tea," she said, making him mutter into his mug. Naoki noticed that it was very old and not made in Japan. "It'd be nice to talk with someone new. I am Nyx; would you like some tea? I have a smoked Russian black that's quite a delight, ten makka for a cup. And despite what he says, I have some soft cider that should appeal to your girls here, two macca for a cup their size."

"Oh yeah, that sounds good!" Hua Po said. High Pixie gave a single nod to that.

That was unexpectedly low. "Yes, I'll try that tea, and get some cider for them."

"Very good, take a seat here and I'll have it ready in a bit." She turned to summon out small mugs suitable for small demons.

Loki looked over at him as Naoki took the open seat next to him. "You smell green," he said. "You better know your place; don't be rude to those of higher power than you."

"So I should be more polite to Lady Nyx," Naoki said. Loki already rubbed him the wrong way, though the smell of alcohol on his breath might account for it.

"Hmph, cheeky brat," Loki said, then took a gulp of his drink. Nyx chuckled at them.

"Well Demi will be awesome and then he'll show you up," Hua Po claimed.

"Pardon her, she has no sense to keep her tongue still," High Pixie said.

Hua Po narrowed her eyes at her rival; Naoki gave her a look to remind her not to cause trouble yet. While she huffed quietly at that, Loki shook his head. "Whatever, fairy girl, he's not got a chance to measure up to me."

"I am not a fairy," Hua Po insisted.

"Doubly so for you," Loki added.

"Do I have to stop serving you drinks again so you don't start fights in my establishment?" Nyx asked with a subtle threat in her polite tone. Naoki admired that. He'd managed to keep peace between his cousins with such questions, but that was keeping a group of kids civil. Doing the same among demons, and to a god like this one, took a lot more charisma and guts.

Loki closed his eyes, but he didn't leave his seat. The tea that Nyx served wasn't like any Naoki had tasted, like an evening campfire. But it was really good and Nyx was willing to speak with him.

"The Reasons of this world are still developing and I see no role for myself yet," she said. "So I thought I'd try my hand here, as something new to divert myself with until someone thinks to ask for me."

"Are you enjoying it?" Naoki asked. He wasn't sure what she was a goddess of, but it was clear that she was one.

Nyx smiled at the question. "So far, it's better than simply waiting around. What about you, what brings you to Ginza?"

"I'm looking for some people," he said. Since she didn't seem strongly for Nihilo, he went ahead and told her. "I survived the Conception with two friends and my teacher. I found one of my friends, but I haven't heard a hint as to where Isamu, my other friend, is. But I did hear that Yuko is the Maiden with Nihilo. I don't like it; I suspect Hikawa's using her, she doesn't seem like the sort for that role."

"So you're going deep into the heart of Nihilo territory looking for her?" Nyx asked. "Hmm hmm, guys will do some crazy things for a girl."

"It's not like that, she's my teacher," Naoki insisted.

"Well, my point still stands," she said. "Nihilo keeps order in Ginza, but they don't meet here. They meet in a facility to the south of here. If you leave this underground area, it'll be obvious. They're drawing a great deal of magatsuhi to them. And the outer area is free of their restrictions, if those are causing you trouble here."

"A little, thanks," he said.

She gave him a thoughtful look, then leaned on the counter near him. "You seem like a good kid. If you get there and run into some trouble you can't tackle yourself, come back here. I may know more about the situation, but you should see some things for yourself."

At that, Naoki wondered how much she knew about him. But there was a taste to her like tea, not this smokey tea but a purer black tea. She was being sincere in her offer. "All right, I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Nyx watched as Demi and his two companions left the lounge. After making sure her other customers didn't want anything, she went back to where Loki was sitting. "That was definitely him."

Loki snorted. "Don't see why he's hanging around little weaklings like that."

"Well he's got to start somewhere, with followers who respect him." He still had a brush of innocence in his gray eyes, which made it hard for Nyx to resist offering him a hand even at this early stage. He definitely wasn't ready to command someone like her. But if he took his destiny to heart, perhaps someday she would answer to him.

"But he's supposed to be Lucifer's pet project now," Loki said, then took another drink. "I was expecting a guy who could properly lead the fiends of the apocalypse as rumored, but he's just some kid with more power than he will let himself use."

"You're supposed to be helping him too," Nyx pointed out.

"Not yet I'm not," he countered. "My part's in the end game, if it comes up at all. I don't think he'll make it that far. Can't believe he's the one."

She chuckled at him "If you don't watch yourself, he could take whatever challenge you come up with and utterly humiliate you with it."

"Hah, I'd like to see him try," he said. "Wanna bet on it?"

The innocent could be lured deep into the night even if they were afraid at the start. The experienced ones would balk more, clinging to rhyme and reason. Chuckling, Nyx tapped the counter. "Certainly."

* * *

"You have not yet been accepted as a member of the Assembly of Nihilo. Keep out." The white door glowered with its concentric lights to emphasize the point.

Naoki had suspected this might happen, after other members of this assembly demanded that he acknowledge their rules. He backed off, leading Hua Po to ask, "Are you gonna let them get away with that?"

"I hope not," he said quietly. "Let's poke around the building, see if there's any other way inside."

If his memory was right, there should have been a store here. He was pretty sure he'd been there before. It was now a flat white dome, like the top of a mushroom sitting on the ground. Overhead, the red glow of magatsuhi being pulled inside was highly visible. Aside from the one door, there weren't any openings on the sides. No entrances, no windows, it was all sealed up tight.

Kagutsuchi was waxing again. Was this cycle moving fast? It felt like it. When they couldn't find a direct entrance, he and his demons headed out into the sands to search out others to join them. Many refused him and would rather fight: will'o'wisps, zhens, formors, a lilim, two apsaras, they all declined to listen.

"Maybe I should show off my hidden idol skills," Hua Po said after another demon was defeated instead of recruited.

"You never did prove whether you could sing or not," High Pixie said.

"I can, just listen!" Hua Po put her hands together at her chest and started to sing. Naoki didn't recognize the language she was using, but she put a lot of expression into her melody. However, it was more like an enthusiastic child than a singer who could blow listeners away.

"Hmm, maybe if she had training," High Pixie whispered to him. "A lot of it."

"Could she be fused into a better singer?" he asked quietly.

"Maybe, but her dreams might change then," she said. "She would be more powerful as she wishes, so don't let that stop you."

Despite the roughness of her song, there was a demon attracted to it. The colorful zhen flew in hesitantly. "Sing?"

Hua Po stopped and twirled in delight. "Oh yeah, come sing with me! That's what an idol does, attract all sorts." She went back to her song.

The zhen cawed softly, pleased at that. Then she bellowed out an ill-fitting tone, weaving a spell that weakened all that heard it. Naoki felt queasy at it, thinking for a moment to punch her to make it stop. "Sheesh, she didn't mean War Cry!" High Pixie protested.

"No sing?" the zhen asked, disappointed.

"If this zhen was with us, would that affect us?" Naoki asked.

"Well his wouldn't," High Pixie said. "And we could ward off all the other zhen by allying with this one. However, it's not easy to make a contract with a wilder like him."

"Girl!" the zhen called, clacking her beak.

"Her, okay," High Pixie said.

How did he put this? It'd have to be simpler, like talking with a very young child. "Miss, come with us and sing for us?" Naoki tried.

She puffed up her chest on being acknowledged. "Like, like! Like red!"

"You mean me?" Hua Po asked, giving it some thought. "Well it'd be nice and all to have my own groupie, but if you want a contract, make it with him. He's in charge of our little posse and the better he appears, the better I am for being close to him."

The zhen twittered in confusion. "Huh, what?"

Naoki didn't want to lose this chance. That War Cry could come in handy. "Red mine," he said, pointing to Hua Po to get his point across. "You mine, with red?"

"Hey!" Hua Po started to protest.

But the zhen drowned her out in excitement. "With, with! Me Wilder Zhen, me fly wild!"

While Zhen might get away with that due to her clan, Naoki felt he still had to keep his end formal. "Good, I'm Demi of the Fiend clan, I'm glad you'll fly with me."

"Whoa, how'd you pull that off?" High Pixie asked, impressed. "Most people need an extra skill to communicate with wilders, fouls, or viles at all."

"Just some creative thinking," Naoki said. "Sorry if that offended you, Hua Po, I just had to get the offer across to Zhen."

"I guess, if that puts another plume in your cap," Hua Po said, crossing her arms over her chest. Then Zhen nudged her with her beak. "What?"

"Like red," Zhen said. "Sing, sing!"

"Well, alrighty then!" Hua Po sang for Zhen again, delighting the bird.

When High Pixie sighed, Naoki shrugged. "It's cute, leave them for now."

"She shouldn't get too proud that a wilder likes her voice," High Pixie said.

But Zhen was not the only one who came for the jirae's song. An angel bound in leather and chains showed up next. Even her blindfold was chained in place. But there was a distinct radiance from her divine lineage that Naoki sensed. She might not have needed to hear them in order to find them. "What kind of child is singing here?" the angel asked.

"Don't call me a child, I'm an idol!" Hua Po claimed, disappointing Zhen in how she stopped midsong.

"Do you like the song?" Naoki asked. The angel was around the same power as High Pixie right now, knowing healing and light spells. While the presence of light mildly irritated his horn, he could get used to it if it troubled other demons.

"I am not allowed to have my own opinions," the angel replied. "But hmm, there's something about you."

Oh shit...

"What about me?" Naoki asked, unsettled because his magatama were finally worried about something.

"I have orders concerning you," the angel said.

And blinding light flooded over him, piercing deep into his soul like it could bleach away any trace of sin and darkness. He was agony, as entirely as during his transformation. Then he felt nothing even as his body collapsed into the sand.

Was this death?

"Be at peace, youth," a gentle voice called. He looked up and saw a golden light. Ripples of white cloth, large feathered wings, eyes of holiness. A different angel reached down to him. "Little lost lamb..."

After all the pain and confusion, maybe he could close his eyes now and find peace. He started to reach back...

Another hand took hold, bony and powerful. "Not yet, don't give up yet. Hmm, but you lasted longer than I had guessed. If it hadn't been for that random angel, you might have gone a ways yet without crossing paths with me."

His mind had nearly stopped along with his heart. "What?"

"You died. And it won't be the last time. Take this taste of death and know it, so that you don't fall like this again."

Everything went blank again. Then he felt the dry sand under his bare feet, the light of Kagutsuchi growing overhead, the beating of his own heart. Hua Po was singing and Zhen was cawing softly along. And some distance away, an angel paused to hear.

"She shouldn't get too proud that a wilder likes her voice," High Pixie said.

Naoki gasped, his heart quickening. "Shh," he said, going over to stop her. "Not now."

Although puzzled, the three demons quickly picked up on his mood. "Huh, what's wrong?" Hua Po asked, her voice quieter than usual.

"There's an angel nearby, we can't get their attention," he hissed, waving for them to head back to the Ginza cluster.

After a few moments, High Pixie whispered to them, "Don't angels count as demons within a world like this? We could fight them, or even negotiate."

"They won't listen," Naoki said. But then he wondered about something. Kagutsuchi was bright. "Except, if they get influenced by this light too, we might have a shot at it."

"It's near impossible to form a proper contract at full moonlight," High Pixie said. "Same goes for Kagutsuchi."

"Well sometimes a demon gets so into the light that they'll make a contract they wouldn't make otherwise," Hua Po said. "Maybe even angels?"

Kagutsuchi was bright. His heartbeat turned from fearful to bold. "That would be a delicious revenge," Naoki said, feeling more excited for the idea. "She's still following. Heh, let's face her head on now."

"Bright bright win!" Zhen crowed.

"You get more fun like this," High Pixie said flirtatiously.

By then, the angel caught up to them. "Oooh, I've been looooking for you," she sang.

"What do you want with us?" Naoki asked, teasing her back.

"Iiiii... uh..." the angel ran her hand across her blindfold. "Oh yeah, I had orders concerning you. Lucifer's protege, human turned demon, you're to be eliminated if encountered. Hmm hmm, yeah, that was it."

"Is your god that concerned about me?" he asked. He could knock this one out clean, as she was by herself. But the idea of tricking her with negotiations was too good to neglect.

"I'm not privy to that kind of information," she said, pouting. "Ah, this light is too much, I almost want to ask why. I shouldn't, I can't, it's not what angels do. Is this what it's like to go insane? Ah ha ha ha!" The angel waved for some reason and drifted down to the ground.

"You obey whoever commands you?" Naoki asked, approaching her. She could strike him down in one blow again, but he didn't care.

"Yee-ah, that's what angels do," she sang again, her head wavering.

"I want to command you," he said, smiling darkly.

"Oh, then I wouldn't have to kill you unless you ordered me to?" she asked, smiling drunkenly. "Hee hee, that seems fun. Hoo'kay then. I am Angel of the Divine lineage, at your command." She offered a hand to him obediently.

* * *

Far in the furthest depths of Amala...

Reckless. But I have to smile. Using Kagutsuchi to claim an angel and your own wits to beguile one of the wildest, you're more resourceful than anyone would expect. This could turn out so beautifully.

And end so suddenly. That was too close. "Pale Rider, come."

He responds to the snap of fingers. "Master?"

"The Divine clan has orders to eliminate him on sight. They know about him." I can't say how that leaked out; it may simply be that they've recognized what I'm doing. But if someone did say something to the wrong people, I will find who's responsible and _reprimand_ them.

"One of their own is watching him too," Pale says. "I had to move too quickly to know who, but it is an angel of great power."

I nod to that; I couldn't identify them myself from such little contact. If they had touched him, I would know, but that could be too late. "This changes things. Don't let him stay dead unless I condemn him. The four active in the world can stay in place, but let the others know that they are to figure out who else is watching him."

"Certainly, I'll pass the orders along."

You have such promise, Naoki, I can't let them clip your wings too early.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some rambling on writing this story... there are parts of this that are based on my first playthrough of Nocturne this year. It includes this death being my initial one, and actually how I recruited an Angel shortly after. Random Divines with Hama were one of the most deadly things to me. And there will be many more deaths.
> 
> In trying to emulate the experience of Nocturne while telling a distinct story, there's also the issue of what demons Naoki recruits and fuses. I do have particular ones I intend to give to him, either because I used them or they would help him through certain areas, but then I have to get them into the narrative smoothly. Some demons I do break gameplay mechanics to get them to join at particular points, but most of the fusions (starting next chapter!) should be accurate to the game. Of course, I figured them out manually, so I don't guarantee that.


	9. Speak the Words of Reason

Just how deep was this chasm? Pressed up against the construction fence, Chiaki couldn't get that question out of mind. Was there a shell beyond that darkness, encasing this strange world? Or was there nothing and falling into that would drop her into the endless void beyond? Not even the bright light of Kagutsuchi could illuminate those depths.

It was a strange light, to be sure. It wasn't sunlight, illuminating things as they were. Nor was it moonlight, making the mundane mysterious. It was like everything else in this world in that it looked almost right but was completely wrong. And there was something more about it, something she couldn't put a finger on. Was it the way if waxed and waned so quickly? Was it the way it was never steady, microcycles of gain and loss that happened quicker than she could blink? She could look directly at it unlike the sun, but that filled her head with strange thoughts. How would she build her own world?

"Hold it!" a voice came from overhead. A group of three high pixies were there, just out of Persephone's reach. "You're trespassing on our territory; you don't belong here."

"I am not trespassing," Chiaki said, irritated at the light, irritated at the fairies, irritated at this world... she wouldn't say it, but how dare they constrain her? "I'm outside your fence, leave me be."

"You're too close, it counts as trespassing," one of them said.

"Yeah, unless you mean to make a Reason we'd support, you should keep to yourself," another said.

"I wouldn't make a Reason for you little..." she argued, but then a stomp of her foot broke the frail ground beneath her. Chiaki screamed and tried to grab onto the fence. She was too late and slipped into the chasm.

Lavender wings rushed across her visions and someone caught her. "Hang on, I'll take you past them," Persephone said.

Chiaki pulled herself closer, not sure how to hang on. "What, why didn't you say you could fly?"

"I can't," Persephone said. "Not unless it's the only way to save you from certain death. I have been charged with ensuring your survival until you can ascend to Kagutsuchi with everything required to make a new world. That is my duty."

Thankfully, Persephone took her past the roadblock that was Yoyogi Park, off to an old shrine well away from the fairies. It looked undamaged from the Conception, sand spread across the stairs as if it'd simply been abandoned one day. "At least we're somewhere new, without having to use the terminals," Chiaki said. "But where is this?"

"The Bandou shrine," Persephone explained. "The remains of Asakusa are beyond here, but it is a longer walk than from Shinjuku to Shibuya."

"Well I could use a moment to collect myself," she said, trying not to admit to how much that fall had scared her. Chiaki went up to the stairs, thinking she could distract herself by looking around. There was a rope with jagged strands of paper across it. "Never understood what this was about," she said, taking one end off a nail in the frame.

"That's because it does nothing to ordinary humans," Persephone said. "It represents a divide between the spiritual and mundane, to keep a passage between them sacred or separate. This particular arrangement completely prevents those of demonic powers from entering this place."

"Just rope and some paper?" She was able to pull it aside easily, leaving the rope to dangle from its other nail.

"Things that seem to be mere symbols to you are objects of great import to the supernatural," she said. "Now anyone may come and go from this place as they please."

"It doesn't seem like a big deal," Chiaki said, pushing the door aside.

There wasn't much inside here. Candles, prayer boxes, and other religious items were kept around a stone statue of a powerful man. Back in the normal world, Chiaki had never thought this all was important. Sure, it might be worth a little to offer some spare change in hopes of a small favor, but its worth was in self-assurance. Now she was expected to call out for a god with a mystical power for an unimaginable task. But was this a god? The statue reminded him of some jocks who took up old martial arts in an effort to look cooler.

Her skin tingled; something changed in the room. Before she could identify what, the gray statue was washed in rich colors. When the gray was all gone, his chest took in breath and his clothes shifted to take on the properties of fabric. His arms twitched, slow in regaining mobility. "Why did you unseal this shrine?"

"It wasn't a strong seal," Chiaki said. "Anyone could have taken that off."

"Not anyone, just an ordinary human," he said. "Why?"

"I wanted to look around, that's all." He didn't have to be offended at that. And why call her ordinary? She had been chosen. Granted, it might have been a fluke that she was. But she had been chosen and that made her special.

"You should not break into a shrine for such little purpose," he warned. "I am Bishamon, a guardian of Tokyo. I await one of great power to arrive; leave this place and put the seal back as it was."

"Well how are you going to find someone of great power if that's your only obstacle?" Chiaki said. This guy was bluffing, but he didn't have to belittle her.

"They will bring me the proof I require," Bishamon said. "Besides, I cannot answer to an ordinary and weak human who cannot survive without their own guardian. Take the role given to you and leave."

"Well excuse me for not being what you expected," she said, storming out of the shrine and shutting the door firmly behind her. All these demons were so vain and violent, even though they could not exist in the world that had been. Maybe even Naoki was secretly that way, maybe that was why he'd been transformed like that. But he had to have some power greater than her in order to command the respect of the demons that followed him unquestioningly.

"Are you going to replace the seal?" Persephone asked as they went down the stairs. "I cannot."

"No," she said angrily. "Let his shrine be invaded if he's going to be that rude to me. What is wrong with this world?! You all keep treating me like I'm important because I can come up with a reason behind all this nonsense, but then also treat me like I'm worthless in terms of power."

"That is the way demons see things," she said.

Chiaki grumbled and looked up at Kagutsuchi. She hated that light, she hated all this. And yet it gave her a bizarre idea. "Well what about that cathedral place, huh? They fuse demons together, can they fuse a demon and human together? Then they wouldn't look down on me so much."

Strangely, Persephone nodded. "It can be done. However, that negates the reason that you are important."

She looked over to her. "And what's that?"

"That you can create a reason behind all this nonsense, as you say," she said. "Only a pure human being can conceive of a Reason to base a world upon. If it would better protect you, and if it what you would wish, I would not mind being fused to you to grant you my powers. But as a servant of Kagutsuchi, I must refuse to do so unless you choose a Reason to bear. Only then can you move away from humanity if that will better meet your goals."

"So I just have to pick my Reason soon?" Chiaki asked. While it had seemed bizarre at first, she would appreciate more respect. Perhaps she could gain even more than she had once had. The light of Kagutsuchi seemed to say it could be so.

"We have a long walk to the next town we could find a cathedral in," Persephone said. "Think it through and be sure of your choice."

What would be an appropriate reason to create a world she'd feel comfortable in? The question had been looming behind her this whole time. But she really would feel better if she wasn't so helpless. That meant taking that question seriously and finding her Reason to bear.

* * *

When the full Kagutsuchi passed, Angel became silent. Naoki couldn't help but feel appalled at the way he'd tricked her into the contract. He could feel other angels watching, knowing their orders but keeping their distance due to her presence. While she had offered herself, it felt like it was against her will.

No, it's more against the will of her god. She has the barest suggestion of a will herself, only cracking open under the influence of Kagutsuchi.

It made him feel like a creep, guilty as charged. But with the magatamas' knowledge, Naoki realized something dangerous. Angel had no will, only an extension of the will of her god. Did that mean that the god who ordered her to kill him on sight had a direct connection to observe him through? It could not be good for him.

Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself when they entered the underground area of Ginza. Zhen clucked in curiosity and flew ahead to investigate this new space. "Angel, would you go keep an eye on Zhen?" he asked. "Make sure she doesn't get in trouble, as the Nihilo demons are strict."

"Mmhmm," she said, then flew after the wilder bird.

He had to finish these thoughts quickly, while Angel was out of hearing. "Girls, I don't trust Angel," he said quietly to Hua Po and Pixie. "Zhen's not a problem, but I want to fuse Angel immediately. But would taking her out of the Divine clan take away her connection to her god entirely?"

"It should, unless you manage to fuse her into another divine," High Pixie said. "Or into a seraph, but I really doubt that can be done by accident."

"I wouldn't know, but she might be right there," Hua Po said reluctantly. She then glanced around and whispered, "The God of Law is scary, we might've made a mistake to take one of his followers along."

"Well I trust you both, and I hope you can override her in whatever you become," Naoki said. "Zhen might not be able to betray us as she's basically an animal, but then it's less certain that she could counter Angel."

"Right, I wouldn't count on a wilder being enough," High Pixie said.

Hua Po tilted her head. "Well, as nice as it is to hear you trust me that much, I was kind of hoping that I could get fused with Zhen. She's my groupie, you see, and I feel like only good things could come out of that."

"If you feel that way, it might be," Naoki said.

"I'm willing to fuse with Angel," High Pixie said. "I won't let you down; I'll keep her in check."

"Thank you, High Pixie," he said, nodding. With that decided, they hurried ahead to where Angel was watching Zhen follow after one of the horses. Naoki apologized to the guard (to the horseman's disdain), then brought his group into the Cathedral of Shadows.

As soon as he entered, he knew that his horn was blocking out information contained within the cathedrals. The room was taller than it should be, filled with shadows delineated by shafts of soft blue light. In the center of the room, high pillars of an unnatural smoothness dominated the room with power. Demon fusion was an art painted with many factors; knowledge of many demons was required.

"Welcome to the Cathedral of Shadows," the minister said while Naoki's eyes were still closed. "You are an unusual visitor, one with a human heart beating within a demon body."

"Am I still..." the answers were there, but needed to be shifted out, "qualified, for your services?"

He sensed the minister nod. "You are the leader of your troop, are you not? You hold a contract with these four, none of whom have a contract with each other. We of this cathedral are permitted to serve demons who bear such authority. After all... state your demon name and clan for me."

"Demi, Fiend," he replied, then took a deep breath. Licking his lips cleared out the last of the initial intake, allowing him to face the minister properly.

"I suspected as much," the minister said. He wore dark glasses and formal robes; there was a sense that he served all qualified visitors equally and would not judge what they asked for. "The clan of Fiends is a highly exclusive group, well within our allowances for clients. Special ceremony is required to summon any of you, even through the process of fusion. This must be your first time visiting a cathedral; would you like me to explain about our services?"

"High Pixie here has explained a fair amount to me already," Naoki said. "You know the ceremony required for your art, so once I have been accepted by your group, I only need bring the demons to you and pay if special requirements are necessary."

"That is a simple overview, enough to begin with," he said, giving a bow. "What would you like to start with?"

"Fuse High Pixie and Angel," he replied. That was most important.

The minister nodded. "As you wish. Send your demons into the hollows within these pillars."

"Go on," Naoki said, looking to the two.

"All right, I won't let you down!" High Pixie said, sounding carefree. But he could taste her will to follow his. She was no bound angel, having chosen to serve.

"As you wish," Angel said, not caring one way or another. She didn't seem to realize his intentions in this; she possibly couldn't.

Once they were in place, the minister held out both of his hands, palms up. "To prove your contract with these two, place your hands upon mine. Then I may begin."

Naoko nodded and followed his instructions. A temporary bond between him and the minister emerged; he could feel the man making a light touch on his power to affirm his qualifications. And in that... he visualized a woman in clothes of ancient Japanese culture. Megami Uzume. She had talent in Force magic, both in using it and draining it. She also resisted Expel, the power of angels. Good. High Pixie's will was dominant, of course, but would be remolded to fit within a goddess.

While she had innate skills, she was inheriting some from High Pixie and Angel. Uzume already knew Media and Mazan; Mazio would still be useful. Angel's Hama was deadly to him, but would be equal parts useful with a demon in contract with him. She should take those.

The minister pulled his hands back, pleased. "Well now, you are an exceptional guest to influence my arts so easily. Very well, I will follow your plan." He put his hands to his mouth and quietly added, "And wise decision on part of Angel's frail will and higher connections."

Turning his attention to his work, the minister faced the demons at the altar and raised his palms to them. Naoki closed his eyes and tried to follow the arcane workings. Respect for the ceremony involved was required. Humans had the most powerful free will of all creation; demons were bound to the frame of their myths and constrained with required personalities. Remaking two demons to fit a different frame made the result more powerful than would naturally occur. But if the traits of the two demons involved were at odds with each other, they would end up in the failed body of a slime demon.

I'm not constrained by a demonic frame; I'm freed by my human willpower to adapt to whatever is required of me. And my demon body means that I can truly fulfill what I desire. That is, once my magatama are all within me. I remember being told that, or overhearing it.

"Sir?" the minister said.

Naoki shook his head, coming out of the sudden trance. "Sorry. Your power reminded me of something."

"Ah," he said, probably for lack of response. "The fusion was successful, precisely as you visualized. I can confirm that no link back to the God of Law remains."

"Thank you," Naoki said, looking to Uzumi. She had an impish smile that was like High Pixie at full Kagutsuhi. He felt more relaxed, like he could trust this.

"Yes, I am Uzume of the Megami clan," she said, reaffirming their contract. "I will not fail you."

"I know," he said.

When he went to fuse Hua Po and Zhen, he found the skills more slippery. He wanted to keep her Agi or Maragi spells, but the resulting demon did not have much skill with magic. Naoki wondered for a moment if this was what Hua Po really wanted. As she had no hesitation, he decided it was more important to keep Zhen's War Cry as priority. He could use Fire Breath now, so it wasn't a lacking like failing to pass down Mazio would be. The end demon took War Cry far easier than the Agis too.

He tried to pay more attention this time. Hua Po and Zhen became clouded in black, seemingly vaporized by the process. That was magatsuhi too, he realized, affected by being within the souls of demons. As their magatsuhi combined, it reformed into a new existence, souls changing frames. What emerged had no wings, with a body larger than either of its sources. Blue and gray armor covered the body of a warrior who was more ancient than Uzume here.

"Hah, I am Momunofu of the Brute clan," he said, spinning his new spear. "Let's go kick some ass!"

"You'll be doing that," Naoki said, smiling a bit. At least he seemed happy enough.

Uzume put a hand to her cheek. "Oh? This is what you thought would be most fitting?"

"Yes, now I'm far more useful and awesome," Momunofu said, stepping out of the pillars.

And the arguments would continue? "You're both fulfilling even more different roles now," Naoki said. "I'm counting on you both."

"Yes, sir!" Momunofu said.

"Of course," Uzume said.

"I will let the other ministers know you are a most worthy client," the minister said. "Also, Demi? I believe you are searching for sources of demonic power called magatama."

Was that something he sensed in the ceremonies or earlier? "Yes, they belong to me,"

"They are a mystery to us of the cathedral, even as much as we know. However, we have examined one and believe that one who is capable of retrieving all twenty-four is worthy of a secret we guard. Please keep that in mind."

"Where is the one you had?" he asked before he could think twice. The compulsion to acquire them demanded it without words.

"It has been passed to a guardian allied with our group," he explained. "Winning a challenge against him is part of a test of your worthiness to us."

"All right, thanks for telling me," he said, clamping down on the disappointment that the minister or one of his peers didn't have it anymore. "Come on, you both, we need to speak with Nyx again."

* * *

What made a good Reason to make a world? Kagutsuchi, illuminate this mystery for me. I will play by your rules.

Family was very important. But her family had lost a great deal of power, wealth, and respect. They left her with only memories of former glory, pushed her to recapture that glory and make them great once again. Respecting your elders and upholding the family legacy was important, but such ideals smothered Chiaki. She wanted to be free of that, cast aside their shriveled husk to create her own glory to enjoy.

The light of Kagutsuchi made those hidden feelings so clear, she felt blessed to know them.

As much as she knew that she should be glorious, very few people acknowledged that about her. Classmates were envious, snubbing her when she was more valuable than them even with a musty old family heritage. When she hoped to be acknowledged for her assets, she was passed over for those of lesser talents. She was top in their class, but Ms. Takao seemed to favor Naoki. Naoki listened to Chiaki, but he never tried to flirt with her to match up with the rumors.

Why did she have to work so hard to shine for nothing when others of lesser light were praised? People should acknowledge her; they should acknowledge those who deserved it. And they should stop praising and acknowledging those of lesser ability. It was a fact of nature, wasn't it? The strong survived and the weak were cast aside. But human society tried to embrace all and got weighed down by worthless husks just like she did.

It was said that beauty was part of a woman's power. Chiaki had good looks, she had the smarts to excel, and she was destined to be great. Yet no one else would admit that. She wanted a world where a person's strengths were recognized. Those who failed to have true strength would be passed by; those who excused ugliness and unfairness would be shown the folly of their ways. Your family did not matter, only your own merits. In that kind of world, she would finally get the recognition she deserved.

That is the world of...

"Yosuga."

* * *

Ripples spread throughout the Vortex World. A word of purpose had been spoken. There was now a direction that could be taken.

The word even pierced the protected silence of Nihilo's Ginza facility. The words of Amala intensified, acknowledging the next step of Conception. With this word, Kagutsuchi would change. It might be subtle, but creation was emerging. Now it awaited other directions, other possibilities.

Raising his head, Hikawa chuckled. "One of the children has finally grasped for power. I've been patient, young ones, but now that you have spoken, so shall I. I will play by your rules, Kagutsuchi; I always have. Let us continue your ceremony."

There was a thrill to this moment, when a new adversary decided to speak against him in a foolhardy challenge. This time, they really didn't know what they were doing. Hikawa did not lose. He made sure that he didn't. However, that wasn't important to his Reason.

The best thing about adversaries was the silence that followed their defeat. They could struggle all they liked, cry and scream, shout and accuse. But it was all just more noise to pollute the world. In that noise, a person couldn't think right. They didn't speak their minds, they spoke according to what society demanded. Noisy people thought they should be served, but they only served to disrupt those of true brilliance. If they would all just be silent, the world could have progressed out of its mindless cycles and become something truly brilliant.

When the Vortex World is silent, this truth was powerfully illuminated by the light of Kagutsuchi.

This world of silent serenity that he saw as perfection was...

"Shijima."

* * *

The words of Amala vibrated on the drum once again. "What is this?" Isamu mumbled.

"Master, two Reasons of Creation have been named," Pascal said. "Have you thought of what your Reason to bear is?"

"Nah, who has time for that nonsense?" he said, looking down at his companion. The dog wagged his tail, but Isamu barely saw it as he winced from a sharp pain in his head. Again? It would pass immediately if he turned his attention back to the terminal, but took an excruciating time to fade if he tried to take medicine for it or sleep it off. "I've got to figure out where Ms. Takao is to help her. I could probably find out anything else in creation, even down to Chiaki's underwear size, but that Hikawa jerk somehow has made some things classified to him alone."

Pascal whimpered. "But that is the reason you were chosen, to choose a Reason."

"I don't care about their dumb rules, I didn't ask for this," he said. He didn't ask to lose everything... no, he couldn't be thinking of that or he'd turn into a sobbing weakling. Focus on what was there, go for something he could attain. "The only thing Amala lied to me about was where Naoki was; maybe that's Hikawa's fault too."

He looked back to the terminal in time to see something change. It was responding to his statements as usual. This time, it claimed that Naoki was in the Ginza Underpass traveling to Ikebukuro. When he touched it, he even got an image of three people fighting a gang of slimes on a concrete path.

"Naoki's alive?!" Isamu shouted unintentionally. And he was headed this way? Then he paused, checking over the video feed more closely. "That's... Naoki?"

One of the three was a hot woman dressed like she was a historical actress; that clearly wasn't him. According to Amala, it was a demon called Uzume. Like, the goddess Uzume, the one who lured Amaterasu out of a cave with a strip dance? Another of the three was a dude in equally ancient garb, mostly armor. Isamu didn't recognize him, but Amala claimed he was another mythological figure, Momunofu.

And the third was the Fiend Demi, also named Kashima Naoki. He was almost naked save for his tight pants, something curious because Naoki never seemed the exhibitionist sort. Although he had good reason to be, now that he had wicked black and glowing blue tattoos covering his body. It seemed like they were full body too, from head to feet all over. And there was a black horn out of the back of his neck, something Amala identified as a demonic sensory organ that functioned like the more primal parts of the human brain.

"Shit, Chiaki got the hot maid and now Naoki got the demonic transformation?" Isamu asked. But he couldn't be bitter about it for long. "Man, but I'm glad that you are alive, even if you're not entirely human anymore. If you're headed here, we could meet up as soon as you show. Maybe I'll dig a bit into this. Amala, why are Naoki and his companions coming here?"

The drum made a symbol that indicated it was searching for events in the very recent past. It revealed that Naoki had been speaking to a lady in a sexy black dress at a bar. What was this? How was Naoki making all these connections with hot female demons? Maybe he'd picked up some skills on being turned into a demon; Isamu hoped he'd share that info.

"I'm sure Yuko is the Maiden that Nihilo has," Naoki said. And when did he pick up permission to speak her name so casually? Wait, Nihilo? Wasn't that one of the big gangs of demons around? "And there's no way to sneak into that building."

"I thought not," the lady in black said. Nyx, Amala named her a goddess of night. "Go speak with Gozu-Tennoh. He leads the Mantra in Ikebukuro and is no friend of the Nihilo. He could easily be talked into ordering an attack on Nihilo's operations here. You could help them, or sneak in amid the chaos to find the woman you seek."

Isamu bit his lip. He'd been searching for days to find Ms Takao through the Amala Network, days! And here Naoki had not only figured who she was with, but also got tips on how to reach her when Nihilo was keeping a tight grasp on her. Isamu had so much information at his fingertips; he should have figured it out first.

"I can still help," he muttered to himself. So Naoki wanted to speak with Gozu-Tennoh, the big name demon who ruled here. Isamu could find out more about him, certainly. Also, he could get more information on the Mantra Headquarters while right under their noses. He'd observed the oni and other demons who were a part of the gang when he snuck out to buy medicines and other things across the way. They seemed like dumb brutes, but they were brutes of immense power. But the right information would break them wide open; it happened in the video games he played and he didn't see why it wouldn't work now.

Isamu just wished he could be the hero of this story and get all the cool stuff instead.


	10. Red Capote and Black Wings

Shaking even more than usual, the manikin ran as best he could to the hideout. His companion stumbled in their hurry, collapsing on the concrete floor. What now? If he was too slow, he'd die. But if he ran, his friend would die. There was just so few of them that had escaped here, to the place they had thought was safe. All of them could die, drained for the magatsuhi and tortured for their insolence.

He crouched down and took his friend's arm. "Come on," he whispered desperately.

Bare feet thumped on the metal ladder rungs.

Too scared to even speak, his friend whimpered as he got back on his feet. They hung onto each other just in case, hurrying on to warn the others. Maybe they'd find a place to hide; maybe they could reach the gated tunnels in time to block the intruders out.

"Guys, they're coming! The Mantra demons are coming!"

"They're here, now?" one of those near the water called in alarm. Other manikins emerged from their rooms, instinctively gathering together in danger.

"There's three of them, got in from the Ginza side," he said, pulling his friend along. He was still whimpering; this manikin had nearly been beaten to death by Fuu-ki, left to die in the sands alone. And this was the first time he was brave enough to take a look around the underpass, that took much longer than getting him physically well.

"What do we do now?"

That was the question: what now? They'd run down here to hide, thinking that the Mantra wouldn't look down here in the sewers. Some of them looked to an older looking manikin among them. But that was the problem: he only looked older. Anyone who was older here was only so by days or hours.

Heavier footsteps came behind them, causing him to turn around. There they were; two were demons that he hadn't seen the likes of, but one of the trio was a Momunofu. Many of the Momunofu had eagerly sworn allegiance to the Mantra.

"We're doomed," one of the women whispered. Even if they all split up and ran now, some of them would die quickly. The others would be hunted down, just like before.

Then the trio's leader stepped forward, the one who glowed faintly with power. "We won't fight you without reason."

A stunned silence held them in place. "You won't?" the one who ran asked. His friend nearly slipped and he had to quickly get a better hold on him. If these three did attack, the two of them would be the first to die like this.

"Are you with the Mantra?" the old manikin asked.

"No, but we're looking for them," he said, passing by him. This demon didn't shove; he didn't shout for them to get out of the way. He just walked on by. "We can pass through, right?"

"Oh, if that's what you want," the old one said, breathing a sigh of relief. They all did. "You got us all worked up over nothing. Sir, go on through if you like, but don't trouble us. And, don't say anything to the Mantra about us. Please? We can't offer much, but we can unlock the door to the terminal and one of us has a shop across the way."

"That's fine, we won't say anything."

They weren't with the Mantra? He felt embarrassed over that. Maybe he should talk with his friend to make sure he could calm down. But when he glanced over, his friend was staring at the strange demon leader's back. "Whu..."

"It's fine, we were mistaken," he whispered.

His friend timidly brought a hand up and almost pointed in the leader's direction. "Wh... wings."

"Huh? He doesn't..." he took another look and stopped. This demon had no wings, except that he did. His stripes created symbolic wings on his back; the glow lines enhanced this illusion. "...have glowing wings," he whispered in awe.

His friend whimpered again, so he brought him into a nearby room to rest. After giving a quick apology, he hurried back outside. The old manikin was standing there thinking while another pair led their visitors to the terminal. "With him, I can understand the panic, but you both worried everyone," the old manikin said.

"Look at his back," he whispered, pointing off towards the newcomers. He might've mispointed out of excitement, but it should be understood.

"Hmm, what about...?" the old manikin paused, then spoke in quiet awe. "Futomimi, he said that the demon who could save us had glowing wings when he had none. But the same demon could destroy us."

"You think, that guy is the one in the prophecy?" a woman manikin asked.

"He fits perfectly, how else could you have wings and have none?"

"We should be careful to not lead him to destroy us," the old manikin said. "Maybe we shouldn't trust him."

The woman reached over to pat his shoulder. "No. Think, what would Futomimi do? He'd probably say to treat him nicely so he thinks well of us. But maybe we shouldn't tell him about the prophecy, not until our leader meets him in person and can tell what the truth is."

"Perhaps that is so," the old manikin said.

Whispers spread among the underpass manikins, that this Demi the Fiend was to be treated kindly in case he was their messiah.

* * *

Naoki swallowed nothing, trying to retain control. These strange people clearly weren't human. They had an earthy scent that was oddly familiar. While their spasms were discomforting to see, it had to be worse living like that. Their faces were off-set, their ragged clothes fit poorly, and their homes here were pitiful. His horn told him that they were miserably weak within this world; other demons would trod on them without thought.

But they had magatama, two of them! When he'd bought the pair off Heeho in Shibuya, he'd had intense thoughts of shredding him into snowflakes if he refused to hand over Iyomante and Shiranui. A jack frost might be able to slip away from him; these manikins would not be able to outrun him if he was trying. Naoki could explain away fighting Forneus over a magatama, but not these manikins he'd just met.

"Hey there cutie, I have faabulous things for sale," the shop manikin said energetically. "Revival beads, ailment remedies, even a stash of chakra drops from a secret source. We're saving up money to hire some help getting other manikins freed, so spend a lot."

Determined to make some conversation, Naoki asked, "Freed from what?"

"The Mantra, mostly," he said. "They use us as slaves in their headquarters and imprison the rest in prison to drain out their magatsuhi. Our home may not look like much, but we're the lucky ones here."

"I see." The impulse bubbled over, he had to dig his nails into his palm to restrain himself. "I'm interested in the magatama. White bug things, with demonic power."

The shopkeeper sloppily clapped his hands together; they didn't seem capable of nodding with their soft heads. "Oh yes, we've picked up a few here and there. So curious, aren't they? Living in a world like this."

"I..." he stopped himself.

"Cut down on the sales pitch, he doesn't need it," Uzume said for him. "How much are you asking for them?"

"Well I have two, I'd like to sell them for ten thousand macca together."

Too much. Naoki didn't have enough to buy both Hifumi and Kamudo. Puncture that mud body and shake him so that he does nod and hand them over. No, they were clearly suffering already, too weak to defend themselves. "Would you trade for a pearl?" he asked, hoping.

"Sorry, but I have no use for a thing like that," the shop manikin said. "If I got caught with a gemstone, it'd get stolen right away."

"Right," he said. Once the magatamas were aware of him, they'd fight to be with him. Naoki put both hands flat on the small counter space. "I will buy," which one? Hifumi was Force-based, Uzume had that covered. Kamudo was physical-based, he could have used one not that long ago. "Kamudo. The physical one. But keep Hifumi locked up securely or it will escape you. I'll pay for it, but I'll leave so you can put it in a paper bag or something to pass over. Do it."

"Huh, they say the customer's always right," he said, baffled by the specific instructions.

"Yes, you'd best do what he says," Uzume said.

A minute later, the shopkeeper came out with a scuffling bag, as he'd requested. "I hope that's the right one, they look about the same to me."

"It is," Naoki said, opening the bag quickly to snatch the magatama before it could try jumping. It still squirmed trying to reach him faster, so he swallowed it as soon as he could. They writhed going down, but it was overall less painful to take them in this way. Even so, his mind broke up a little once it was inside.

A warm tea cup in hand, rain pattering on the window, the scent of lilacs and powder; his aunt patted his shoulder. "You can stay the night if you don't want to walk out in the dark rain. They'll be back in a few days."

A sunny day, water babbling by, the scent of cut grass; his father could turn a skateboard on a dime. "If you didn't like tennis, it's fine. But isn't there anything that really grabs your attention? I'm sure you could be great if you had something to focus on."

She kept no photos in her office, something that struck Naoki as a little odd. "No, I think you're more than just average," Yuko said warmly. "The things you are talented in are not obvious, perhaps even you don't realize them yet. What is it in life that you truly enjoy? That will point you towards a career you can take true satisfaction in."

He enjoyed looking after his cousins, he found satisfaction in smoothing over disagreements between others, he enjoyed clever pranks that did no harm. Over break before his senior year, he started looking into becoming a teacher. Maybe of the early grades where he could put his general interests to use helping them learn general subjects.

Then how did he get chosen by the leader of all demons for an ungiven purpose? He enjoyed life, he would have been content to keep things going as they were.

Just maybe, is that why? If you hated the world, you'd not see how horrific the Amala cycle is. But then we're just parasites, fragments of being. We still hope one day to be fully united with you.

But they were giving him thoughts as clear as his own now. They were no mere parasites. And he only had six of them now.

Stale air surrounded him, damp concrete and metal. Water gurgled along in a manmade channel. Naoki rubbed his neck, making sure he was aware. "You both here?"

"Of course," Uzume said. When he opened his eyes, he noticed she was sitting on the railing. "Momunofu makes the manikins nervous, but most of them aren't over here."

"I tried to sing, but that didn't help any," Momunofu said.

That was enough to make Naoki smile a moment. "That's too bad. We'll find someone who appreciates it someday."

"Everyone will someday!" he insisted. "Are we heading on to Ikebukuro?"

After nodding, he got back up. "Sure, we'll leave the manikins be. By the time we find the terminal there, we might have enough money for the other magatama and can transport back."

"I figured you'd have a plan for that," Uzume said, hopping off her perch.

The manikins had the other end of their shelter well protected. A thick metal gate had a switch only on their side. While the paths twisted about between two passages, they had iron gates pulled down to slow any approach. According to a sign left on a wall, there'd be another pair of maze-like open rooms before they could get out. There were demons within the halls, nothing the three of them couldn't handle.

When Naoki opened up a door near the end of this passage, his horn gave him a strong warning. Something was here, he should call out the candelabrum. He stopped where he was and did so, wondering what was going on. Momunofu peered around him, trying to see what had made him stop.

The candles had white wicks, as if it had never been used. They were all ablaze with black fire. Although air moved slowly down here, the flames reached far ahead as if drawn to something. Naoki closed his eyes and focused on the fire. Another labyrinth candelabrum was here: Foundation.

"Okay, that's getting creepy," Uzume said. "You picked up that thing out of nowhere and now it's got hellfire."

"Someone who has a candelabrum like this is nearby," Naoki said. "I was asked to retrieve them all, but I'm suspicious of why."

"We can handle it," Momunofu said. "I've got your back."

"All right, let's give this a shot," he said. There weren't options of where to go, but he still kept the candelabrum out to lead them.

Down the left corridor, there didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary. There weren't any demons in sight. His horn still kept him alert, right until he crossed some invisible line. There was someone powerful here even if they couldn't be seen. Uzume and Momunofu felt it too; they slowed their approach and looked around more warily. Despite that they continued to follow him, right into a gaping black hole that appeared suddenly beneath his feet and swallowed them up.

There was a brief drop, then a complete transfer to another space. Naoki wouldn't have known it if his horn didn't pick up on that. Seconds later, they landed in an outdoors arena. It seemed to be a desert, covered in red stone and too dry for life. Yet seats had been carved out into rock walls surrounding this large opening. Overhead, the sky was red, full of golden clouds that rolled to a restless high wind. A restless murmur surrounded them even though he only sensed four of them here.

A flutter of red caught his eye ahead, then their opponent appeared to the roar of a missing crowd. He was a skeleton, that was clear from his pale skull. But he was dressed in an ornate suit of blue and gold, not armor but a showy costume. In one hand, he kept a long red cape with a pole to keep it spread wide. In the other hand, he held onto another golden candelabrum, flickering with black flames that reached out towards the one Naoki held. Information on him was being blocked off by his power, but Naoki could tell who this was: the Fiend Matador.

"Lo, another of the candelabrum bearers draws near," Matador said, hushing his own crowd. "I don't recognize this one. Have you come to join our game?"

"What game?" he asked.

"You didn't know? I assumed that was why you had one." He twirled the candelabrum in his hand. "It's very simple and I don't believe anyone would be adverse to another joining in, especially a fellow fiend like yourself. There was a spat a short while ago about whose power among us reigns supreme, so some of us decided to settle the issue once and for all. Thus we came up with this little game. The candelabrum are attracted to one another naturally, so we each took one and set out on a quest to claim them from each other. I chose to base myself here because the audio potential of these sewers is magnificent." He flicked his cape aside and the crowd roared again.

"Lucifer's looking for them," Naoki told him.

Matador wasn't intimidated by that news. "Is he now? Well he's always welcome to join us in such endeavors. I wouldn't be surprised if he knows about the whole thing already. Hmm, so then he chooses a youthful newcomer as his champion rather than join in himself? Now you've got me intrigued."

Naoki was worried himself. He was getting used to fighting and negotiating with demons; the latter was surprisingly helpful for getting useful items. According to his own two demons and the cathedral minister, fiends were an exclusive clan of powerful demons under Lucifer's direct command. And now the leader of all demons had thrown him into some competition between his clan members? This could be very bad.

"Then you will take challenges with your followers here?" Matador asked, sending the candelabrum away and claiming a steel saber in its place. "That's perfectly acceptable, some of the others have chosen to do the same. Once a challenge is taken like this, the winner takes all candelabrum offered to the betting pool and the loser must submit to the command of the other for the duration of the Vortex World's existence. Those are the terms that have been set. For myself, I alone suffice for a battle of great honor and flair. You are nothing but a small child compared to the rest of us. By my red capote and white sword, I shall claim all glory in this game!"

The phantom crowd went wild as the battle began, Matador swirling his cape around to cast some enchantment on himself. Naoki sent his own candelabrum away and stepped back towards his followers. "Let's start with what's been working for us, we'll adapt from there."

Uzume and Momunofu nodded, getting themselves into action. His Fog Breath was really effective at keeping opponents from being able to hit them. After that, he and Momunofu could team up for a physical battle, or he could stay back and use his other breath skills to hit enemies where they were weak. Uzume kept them healed up and attempted to disable enemies further with the shock effect of Mazio. It had been working well so far, although Naoki had been considering to himself how to go if an enemy had stronger defenses than normal.

When Matador closed the distance between them, he moved far quicker than any other enemy they'd run into. He swung his cape around, a dazzling motion of red that distracted from the following white flickers of his saber. Naoki felt a piercing pain through his heart as the blade thrust right through and he died.

"Child..." a faint voice called from afar. White dappled light began to fill his vision, blurring out what his followers could do against the swift grace of Matador.

Horseshoes sounded just behind him, a rustle of a heavy cloak. "Try that again, you can do better."

It all went black, then orange returned to his vision. He was back in the twin tunnels between sewer chambers. Putting his hand over his heart, he felt no wound there even though there was a faint ache. "Is something wrong?" Uzume asked.

When Naoki tasted her feelings, her puzzlement was only mild. He licked his lips, then took out the candelabrum. Tiny black embers were on the white wicks. When he held it to the door, they grew into flames fitting of these candles. "There's a powerful enemy beyond here," he told her. "Stay alert we'll..." that fight has been so brief that he wasn't sure about Matador's fighting capacity other than he was blindingly fast, "take it as normal, but it'll be rough."

They knew of his sharp senses, so Uzume and Momunofu nodded to that. Naoki opened the doors, causing the candelabrum's light to flare up into proper hellfire. Matador was in the exact same place as before. In fact, the conversation went exactly the same. There was no acknowledgment that he had technically lost for dying. Matador still challenged him to claim Sovereignty.

This time, he felt his magatama whispering to him. That initial twirl of his cape, that was a boost that gave him his swiftness and piercing accuracy. Fog Breath could dampen some of it, but one casting could not negate it. In the way he held his cape, saber, and even the candelabrum at first, Matador had a formal fighting style that held skilled substance within the flair. It was masterfully impressive.

And also very effective. This time, Matador advanced on Momunofu first, cutting around his more primitive thrusts and striking him down from an opening in the side. While Uzume tried to recover him, Naoki used Ice Breath to try freezing him in place. It hardly affected Matador. As Naoki knew how he'd died, he got defensive when Matador swung his cape in his direction again.

He died again despite that. As his body fell, his soul was clasped again. "Again. Matador wouldn't have a chance at winning this game if it wasn't for you, so don't let him."

"W-who are you?" Naoki asked, his words awkward because he tried to get them out too quickly.

"You'll know someday."

When he appeared at the door again, alive and whole, he had second thoughts about going through. "Maybe there's a way around him."

"Around who?" Uzume asked, so Naoki had to explain again what kind of power was waiting for them.

He'd followed the candelabrum's light previously. This time, he checked out the other passage first. Unfortunately, it was barred as a part of the manikins' defenses. He searched out with his horn's ability to examine the structure just in case there was any hidden passages. There was nothing he could sense, although he wasn't sure how such things would feel to him now. No, it was clear that Matador had parked himself in one spot to catch anyone who tried to pass by. It was oddly out of the way for a game like he spoke of. But if he was right, other fiends would be wandering the Vortex World searching each other out.

He made sure not to repeat the conversation this time. "Yes, Lucifer asked me to join your game, indirectly."

Matador was amused at that answer. "Ah, so he was paying attention. I don't know if this joke of his is on you or me, but you'd best be ready to take it seriously."

On this third attempt, Matador started out different yet again, sweeping his cape around a different way to knock them back with a powerful wind. Naoki tried two castings of Fog Breath to see if that countered his enchantment. It did force Matador to slow his steps, taking another second to be sure of his attacks. With that, Uzume got a chance to use Mazio against him. The electric attack damaged him more than fire, but did not stun him this time. Matador then enchanted his saber with the Force element.

And Naoki died from being punctured all over his body two dozen times in a span of two seconds.

"Please, don't suffer any more," the voice with the dappled light said, sounding closer than before.

The voice of the unseen horseman was closer than that. "He can do more, but you've seen all his capabilities now. Come on, prove that you're worthy of Lucifer's trust."

All of his capabilities? Naoki gripped his fist to his chest, listening to his own breath and confirming that he was alive again. He was starting to feel sick from this, the phantom pains of his death stronger.

"Demi?" Uzume asked, more worried but still not remembering.

He bowed his head, then stepped back. "I should've took Hifumi instead," he muttered. He stepped back again, making both of his demons curious. "We... we can't handle that guy yet." Wait, they weren't remembering. "Someone powerful lies beyond that door, another fiend. We need to be able to counter someone fast and strong, plus I need Hifumi now, no question. Do you two have anything you can work towards?"

"I've got a stronger attack I could practice," Momunofu offered.

"Mm, I think I could sway a person's heart, or turn them to stone," Uzume said, a twinkle to her shaded eyes.

"I don't know how much that could help, but anything's worth trying," Naoki said.

They headed back to the earlier tunnels to practice. Uzume got her new spells sooner, one to charm an enemy and another to turn them to stone, just as she suggested. Meanwhile, Momunofu decided to show Naoki his focusing technique to increase his attack power significantly if he just took a little more time to act. Kamudo could comprehend it immediately; with a few attempts, Naoki got Focus as well. After that, Momunofu figured out Brutal Slash. It was just as the name suggested, although the powerful attack cut into his own health. Again, Kamudo already knew about that, whispering to him that such risks were well worth it since he could count on Uzume's healing powers.

The biggest assurance that he got was when he could finally go back and buy Hifumi from the manikin merchant. Even though it took several more battles, he also bought a couple of chakra drops to replenish magical energy. While Matador was fast, he could be slowed down and Naoki might have to outlast his attacks. This fiend might not have healing capabilities, so he didn't want to run out of his own.

And the merchant had a surprise for him. "You've been a good customer, helping out our funds for our goals," he said, producing a small long box from under the counter. "So I thought I'd offer you a little reward for your patronage: an Ag Incense."

"Um, sure, thanks," Naoki said.

"Oo that's a generous gift," Uzume said. "I'd be jealous, but having a strong leader is quite an honor."

The shopkeeper quivered. "Well, it's not like I could simply sell that. Apparently some high rank demons get really touchy about incense sales, so we don't want to cause trouble."

"What's it for, then?" Naoki asked. They had no trouble selling the magatamas, although not even the minister knew much about them.

"Incense can permanently boost a demon's innate powers, plus it acts as a full restorative," the shopkeeper said. "Apparently special humans have the capacity to use them similarly. But we manikins aren't demons or humans; incense is too powerful for us, so we get affected negatively when it burns. Still, we know how valuable they are for demons, so we shopkeepers decided to try gathering incense and some other invaluable rarities as customer rewards. You know, so demons decide to let us keep our shops and don't rob us."

"That might work, or they might decide to rob you for your valuables," Uzume said, scaring the shopkeeper a little.

"If they're open-minded enough to become loyal customers, I think rewards could help," Naoki said. "I'd defend your shops if you need it."

"Wonderful, I knew I had a good feeling about you," the shopkeeper said, relieved now. "Actually, remember how I said we were funding efforts to rescue the others? I'd like to ask you a favor now, since you're going to meet up with the Mantra."

He nodded; he didn't want to anger the Mantra too soon, but the manikins seemed like they needed the help. "Sure, what is it?"

"They have a prison in the basement of their headquarters where they keep the slaves working there," he explained. "Those of us who were in there noticed a mysterious door in back that wasn't being watched. If there was some underground tunnel that we could sneak other manikins out of, it'd be a big help. We think that door might have such an escape point. Would you check it out while you're there? You'll have to be mindful of the guards, but they count on the heavy bars and guarding the ways up to keep us down there."

"All right, we'll look into that," Naoki said.

"I'll pay you for the info when you get back with it," the shopkeeper said.

Of course, doing that required getting past Matador. Momunofu was less prone to arguing with Uzume out of spite, as proven when he agreed that they'd rather he be stronger as their leader. This incense increased agility, which wouldn't be enough to match Matador. Still, it would help, so Naoki took a minute to use the incense himself. Once the stick was lit, a scent like the gust before a storm filled his senses. The small trail of smoke filled his awareness briefly; move across the ground to lead the wind rather than be buffeted by it. The stick burned quickly and Naoki didn't feel much different when it cleared out of his head. But he found himself able to punch a spirit before it could cast in the next battle, something he couldn't do previously.

He put Hifumi in the lead once they reached to door leading to Matador's passage. Naoki didn't want to waste too much time even if he wasn't losing much when he died. Any more deaths might start messing with his head. He went right for the arena's entrance to challenge this fiend again.

When Matador used his wind attack this time, it felt like little more than a breeze. Momonofu still got pushed back, but Naoki and Uzume weren't touched. That threw Matador off his stride for a moment; he pulled his cape up to briefly consider his next move. Naoki used Fog Breath again to keep his swiftness down, then managed to get in a punch to Matador's chest. The skeleton stumbled back. From that, Naoki knew they could reasonably take him out this time.

Matador swirled his cape again, so Naoki dropped back to bring that enchantment back down. Momunofu stepped up and thrust right through Matador's fancy suit to damage him greatly. Once Matador stepped aside, he laughed with a dark thrill. "Aha, perhaps the child does have promise. Let's step up this game, shall we?"

He'd been holding back? Matador whirled his cape again, bringing his saber up as if he meant to stab the air. When he did, dozens of swords materialized around all three of them and flew right through them. Uzume was quick to get a Media off, but Matador lunged right for Naoki. The phantom crowd went crazy as Naoki tried to dodge that attack. It clipped him in the side, he struck back, and then a phantom saber struck him through the back, killing him instantly.

That wasn't all his capabilities, Naoki thought briefly. Or maybe the phantom swords simply hadn't been visible for that one death. Then he heard a loud whinny from a horse, a clash of blades. Who was fighting Death, if that's who that was?

"Be at peace," the gentle voice said, dappled light filling his vision fully this time. A beating of large wings brushed air across his face. "I've finally reached you, little lost lamb."

"What?" he mumbled, his mind getting hazy. An arm wrapped around him; the radiance with it made his muscles tense. The magatama were afraid.

"Don't be afraid of your shepherd." Radiant fingers drew down his eyes, making him feel the heaviness of exhaustion.

His mind turned silent.


	11. The Cruelty of Heaven

In the depths of Amala, three horseman appeared. Red wasn't expecting this summons. He'd been enjoying the conflicts that broke out over magatsuhi in the Vortex World. As fierce as it got, he couldn't wait for passions to emerge over Reasons, which would lead to more magnificent battles. He had a role to play, but it would be clear when that time was near.

Lucifer was angry, that much was clear from how he took his younger form with them. But as was his current whim, he let the female servant with him speak in his stead. "Matador is giving the Demifiend trouble, but someone has interfered with Pale's duty to watch over him. An angel has stolen the Demifiend's soul; get it back by any means necessary."

"Yes sir," Red said along with White and Black. This wasn't the time to be questioning Lucifer or dallying. Losing the Demifiend's soul to the angels would be a massive setback. There was the question of how the angels knew enough to set up an ambush on Pale Rider right when Demifiend died, but that would have to be solved later.

Once they were out of Amala, Black Rider said, "It had to be one or more high within the angelic hierarchy to keep Pale from bringing a soul back from death."

"Perhaps we should lend him some of our followers so they can pick up on the angels' motions," White Rider suggested. He and Red kept false angels for that explicit purpose; the false ones were easier to bluff real angels with as well.

"We'll probably have to take Pale's role for a short while," Red said. Then he chuckled. "But let's enjoy this invasion of heaven, shall we?"

The other two laughed as they made their approach.

* * *

Naoki's senses felt dull. Long grasses waved against his bare arms and back, calming flowers painted the cool breeze with their scents. A river rippled nearby. But, there should be so much more... it was all human senses, he realized. He could still feel the horn on his back, but he felt nothing from it. He couldn't hear his magatama either.

It was peaceful. He could sleep here without having stopped because of pain. There was something he had been doing. But knowing demons were involved, especially Lucifer, Naoki felt like he could ignore that now. Whatever he'd been doing, it was more than humans should be involved with. He could just sleep here, finally at peace.

"Naoki?"

"Mom?" He opened his eyes and felt the burn of full sunlight. He covered them, but stood up where he was.

"Naoki, there you are!" she called.

But she was dead, lost with everyone else in the Conception. He opened his eyes a little and found the hazy forms of people by a river. Some were coming towards him. Then, he had fully died this time? His mother and father, and everyone else who had died to the Conception, were they here? His heart cried out in recollection of that awful realization at being chosen to witness the end of the world. He ran ahead to meet with them. The suffering was over and he...

He crashed right into an invisible barrier a few feet ahead. Flashes of pain were so strong that they appeared on his skin. Those demonic markings were still on him; the glow was a faint pink now. Were they holding him back? He pressed his hands up against the barrier that kept him apart; white flashes appeared, not letting him through. Why? His vision took on a watery blur.

"We couldn't find you, we've been looking all over," his mother said, so near that he should see her face clearly. But he didn't.

"Naoki, you're finally here!" one of his cousins said happily.

"Naoki?" his father asked, coming ahead of the rest and reaching out to take his hand. But he found the barrier impassable as well. "What's the matter?"

"I..." he was a demon, he was being kept from them for that reason. Naoki put his head on the barrier. "I didn't ask for this, I can't reach you."

"Naoki," his mother said sadly, trying to reach him as well.

"I didn't want this!" he said. But not even hitting the barrier would break it.

"It will be fine, don't panic." It was the voice of the shepherd. He took Naoki's shoulder. "You were lost to the darkness and tempted by it. It made you think there were no other options. But I came to save you. You can be with your family again if you let me take away the dark gift given to you by the fallen one. Will you forsake that path of destruction?"

"Yes," Naoki said, the only thoughts in his mind wanting to be back with his family. If he had continued to gain power, he might have lost them forever.

"Good, I'm glad you turned away so soon," the angel said. He pulled him away from the barrier; white and gold feathers spread along his wings. "Come now, let's wash away that darkness from your soul."

His body felt weak, so he nodded and let the angel led him towards the river. The shades of his family followed. Closer to the water, he saw the river as more perfect than any he'd seen. The water was a shimmering blue, flowing gently like it could never harm anyone. And yet something started to make him feel nervous. His throat tensed and the glints of light off the water seemed sharp.

Don't do this, no no no, get away from there, don't go in the water, you'll die worse than death.

The voices from the magatama were back, faint although it felt like they were screaming from within. "The dark voices try to fool you even now," the angel said softly. "It may hurt a little, but I will save you, have no fear."

A step near the water was resisted. Naoki trembled. No, this was the only way to be with his family again. It had been a cruel twist that he had survived, but he was dead now and he didn't care if he'd stay dead. His heart pounded as he forced himself to step into the river.

Painfully, the water hissed off his foot. There was a harsh feeling like getting a strong cleaner spilled on his skin. Naoki got his other foot in and blackness tainted the perfect river. As the pain began to overcome his thoughts, the angel nudged him further on. His knees buckled and he collapsed.

Don't do this!

The angel touched his shoulder and he snapped. Gaining strength from this fear, he shoved the angel into the river instead and fled. His vision was full of white, with bare outlines of what was here. People were calling him, but he didn't understand. What was happening to him, why was he in so much pain? He ran until it overcame him again, dropping him into the soft grasses. He was crying and screaming and didn't know anything.

That water would bleach your soul entirely; you would forget them. We're still with you, even as it hurts... we want to always... be with you...

Regaining a semblance of sense, he thought over what had just happened. Being blocked from his family, accepting the angel's offer, that pure clear water that threatened to render his soul completely pure... of everything? But those voices could be lying, he could have been back with his family now. His tears turned more to grief. Would the angels give him another chance? Or did this mean he could never be back with his family again? Did the angels mean to erase him? But angels didn't do that... right?

The grass fluttered deeper as the wind picked up. Rain fell through the sunlight, approaching him swiftly. "Little lamb, where did you run?" the angel called.

There was a brief temptation to just close his eyes and let the rain wash over him. It was the same water that was in the river, he was sure. Not far from him, he heard the rustle of cloth against grass. If that angel got hold of him again, he might not be able to break free. Did he care about that? Little voices nearby were begging him for something.

The one approaching him snatched him up and held him close. That was dark cloth. "There you are," he said softly with the grin of a skull. He whistled and a red horse appeared next to them. "Brace yourself, we're going to be assaulted with holy water."

The red horseman kept a tight hold on him as he mounted his horse. A fiery heat touched them just before that hiss of holy water filled his ears. Cringing, he clung tight to his dark savior. A few drops bit into his feet as the horse began to gallop away; the fire evaporated the rest. He was taking him away from his family! But also keeping him from absolute dissolution. But he was already dead... why did he have to suffer like this?

"You actually sneaked by their watch to reclaim him?" someone asked in disbelief.

"They wouldn't expect it of me," the red horseman said. "But we can't take him back to where he was, not in this state. I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't even tell us his name."

His name? What... was his name? His mother's voice had been calling him, but what name did she call?

"They got him good, didn't they?" a third voice said.

"But should we really bring him there at this time?"

"Who else could recover him from this?" The red horseman kept an arm around him. "Be still, boy, you could be lost to far worse places along this road."

And they rode further into the darkness. It was hard to tell how long or how far; his mind kept fading in and out. Then the hooves of three horses stepped onto a wooden floor, getting his attention again. There was a discussion going on around him. "They'd brought his family out," the red horseman said, setting him onto a deep red couch. "He must have panicked at some point, but they got him in the water."

"That was a close call," a woman nearby said. The light of this place flickered as if candles were lit somewhere. From where he sat, he could see part of her face under the black veil. She seemed familiar... Yuko? His mind could barely function, but he didn't feel that was right.

A man nearby pushed himself out of a wheelchair; his arms trembled with the effort it took to support himself to swing over to the edge of the couch instead. The action seemed familiar, an elderly man of limited mobility and frail body, but enough pride that he would keep doing small things himself. His grandfather had been like that in the last months of his life. That wasn't right either, this man was no more his grandfather than that veiled woman was his teacher.

He could think of them, but his name... he should be able to recall his name at least.

When the elderly man ran his hand over his face, he was reminded of the same action from the angel. The power was strangely the same; only a subtle shadow made it different from that radiance. Then his power sunk in deeper, making him close his eyes. The lingering pain was soothed away; his senses woke back up. He was Naoki, also known as Demi.

Don't worry, Naoki, we'll be fine now.

The man who was healing him from the salvation of heaven was Lucifer.

Many thoughts flooded in from that: fighting Matador, the trembling manikins, his father trying to take his hand, and he'd said that he was going to turn away from this darkness but then he fled when the cleansing waters were too powerful. And he got saved by a red horseman, wasn't that War of the apocalypse riders? What sense did any of this make? He hadn't asked for these powers, he hadn't asked to be spared from Conception! How did he get involved in any of this? His heart quickened and he tried to back up, not sure if he should (or could) run, but not sure if he should stay.

Before he could get away, the veiled woman stepped up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Keep calm, Naoki, we'll..."

Lucifer didn't met him eye to eye, but reached over to him again. His mother's grief came back to him and Naoki reflexively punched his nose.

Something in the very air changed as Lucifer covered his face and closed his eyes. The veiled woman tensed and Naoki could taste fear off her. Nearby, the three riders who had retrieved him went completely silent out of shock. Naoki had a feeling like he'd just made a terrible mistake. But no, he wasn't going to apologize for that. They'd stolen his humanity from him, made it impossible for him to be with his family again. He didn't care if he got erased here because it would have been a lot better if that had happened to him when the entire world died.

"Leave us," Lucifer said. His voice was roughed by the age of his body, but there was still immense authority in it.

The veiled woman immediately let him go, even as she was afraid for him. The horsemen didn't say anything, they merely bowed as one and vanished with their horses. For some reason, the woman had to walk away and leave through a door instead of leaving by magic as well. There was even a sense that some curious beings had been just beyond the walls, but they fled the moment their master spoke. They were completely alone here.

Naoki gripped the edge of the couch he was on. There was an instinctive fear in him; the magatama were silent again, trembling over what he might have gotten them into. But he was not going to apologize for that.

* * *

"You lost him?" Gabriel asked, surprised to hear of it. "His powers are undeveloped; that rain should have been inescapable."

Michael knew that; it was why he'd chosen that after the Demifiend had fled. It was frustrating that he'd run at all. The boy had agreed to his offer and was almost incapable of resisting. "You let one of the riders slip by; I saw one at the edge of the rain and he must have had him."

"I know we had the four riders engaged in battle," Raphael said, then glanced at Uriel. "Unless Pale Rider got away from you in time?"

"No, my battle with him only just ended." He was still nursing one of his wounds with healing magic. But then they had known that any who ambushed Pale Rider, especially at that point, was in for a fierce battle.

"We weren't expecting all three to come after the Demifiend, but we had them held up near the gates," Raphael said.

"Who did you see?" Gabriel said, rubbing her chin and considering the matter.

"It was a red horse," Michael said. Deception was contrary to the methods of the harbinger of war, at least he'd thought so.

"There was a point where I lost track of him," Gabriel admitted. "But I spotted him again not long after, so I didn't think anything of it at the time."

"They would be desperate to keep hold of their new weapon," Uriel said.

In the same measure, they desperately wanted to destroy that weapon before he was ready. "We have to abide by the laws of Kagutsuchi within the Vortex World," Michael said, considering new plans. "What Reasons have been formed?"

"Yosuga and Shijima," Gabriel replied. "However, there are two... no..." she hummed while thinking. "Five potential sources of an authentic Reason remaining."

"Five?" Raphael asked skeptically. "It's got to be two."

"It's five it you stretch the realm of possibility out," she said. "Of course, one is a forsaken soul, so his chance is extremely remote. It will be known if he comes close and we will be compelled to strike him down. Two are certain because they are humans from the old world; they have simply not formed a clear Reason yet. The remaining two are also small chances, but they are chances none the less. As the Divine Messenger has not been contacted, there's plenty of time before the deadline of formation arrives."

"Who is the Divine Messenger chosen by Kagutsuchi?" Michael asked. No detail could be missed, not with the stakes at hand.

"It's a trumpeter, no one to be concerned about," Gabriel said. "Of course, Lucifer's Fiend Trumpeter is there as well. The Divine Trumpeter will adhere to duty."

"Good," Michael said. "Shijima could be a good choice to enter through."

Oddly enough, Gabriel shook her head. "Not this Shijima. There is no thought to God in the desire for the serenity of Shijima. It is a worldly desire of a sociopath."

"It's from that Hikawa, it would be detestable to work with him even if he called up Conception for that world," Uriel added.

Gabriel clasped her hands together. "This will be unorthodox, but the Yosuga that has arisen may have a crack we can enter through. It was formed by the girl who wishes to claim her own authority, with thoughts of beauty and strength to it. Should we exhibit the beauty and strength of God, we may enter through her even if we take unusual peers at this time."

That was a decent sounding idea. But even if these three and himself were given more leeway than others, they were still angels and it was best to keep within those lines. "Let us present this plan to God. Perhaps He will even advise us on this troublesome matter of the Demifiend."

* * *

I have dealt with insubordination many times. It's something I expect to happen, given how many around me crave freedom and power. However, very few are daring enough to do so to my face; they usually enact underhanded schemes and manipulations. It's amusing to watch, especially as they fail and must face my wrath afterward.

There is a fire of defiance in his eyes. He's afraid in this silence and has some idea of what I could do to him, but he's still facing me out of the pain and grief eating at his heart. When I restored his soul, I could see what happened to him. He did agree to turn away from me and reject my gift. I know why: they abused the simple human need for companionship. It's not something I can easily fight because his family is currently beyond my reach.

But there is always another way...

"Those damn angels," I mutter, taking my hand from my face. I couldn't take any actual damage from that attack as this body is merely molded to fit this role. It softens his passions down to see that he didn't do anything. "They dangled your family just out of reach to persuade you with their idea of salvation, didn't they?"

The question steals fuel from his anger to throw onto his grief. "Yes," he said quietly.

"Anything in that realm is entirely their make, so what happened must have been staged," I tell him. "Even if it was truly your family there; the angels wouldn't care about how their souls must be suffering, just so long as they can get after the threat they see in you. All in the name of salvation, the suffering of mankind can be excused as long as the demands of their god are met."

His eyes shift aside; his anger shifts around. He has an unusual lacking of sexual desires, but his capacity for love is quite strong. While no one could tempt him as a lover, such a threat to his family could lead him to know true hellfire. He just needs the proper side to blame.

I put my finger to his lips, getting his attention. "They have certain expectations of me, so I had to send them away before speaking like this: I'm not angry with you. Rather, that look in your eyes just now reminds me of old memories. I'm proud to see I made the right choice with you, but that's between us alone, got it?"

While he nods to that, he's still tense with me. What then...? Ah.

"Does something still bother you?" Then I put my hand back over my face. This body is molded to its purpose, so the nose could be slightly crooked. "Is this better?"

A laugh escapes his lips, and he becomes willing to look me in the eyes. His grief is still raw there, anyone could see it.

"Don't be surprised if some lower tier demons have a terrified awe of you, if they hear gossip that you broke my nose," I tell him.

That humor isn't enough to relieve his deeper emotions, but he's starting to do something dangerous. He's starting to trust me. "You're Lucifer, right?" he asks.

The plan was to wait on any important revelations, but he's already realized that. I can't take too many chances on him backing out like that again, not with angels watching him. "That's right."

"Why did you do this to me?" His soul is searching for a more personal angle.

I close my eyes. "There are too many reasons to recount here and now, but you have just experienced something of it."

"No, I mean, why me?"

Find the words that he has heard, seek the words that he desires. "Ah, that must be a true mystery to you. You were just an average high schooler, a normal Japanese youth." I look back at him. "But your true talents are something not easily seen. Sometimes the extraordinary waits as a seed within the ordinary. I know this situation must be difficult for you to comprehend at points, but you were not thriving in your ordinary situation. You needed something extra to survive the Vortex World, yes, but I have given you something that could vault you far beyond what you could have been otherwise. It's up to you how far you go."

I don't have his complete trust yet. But I hear his heart beat and I know I have entered it. I can get unshakable loyalty from that seed; the question then becomes if I can get the power I desire out of him.

As he's weakened, we should stop for now. "Lay down and rest; you still need some time to recover and no one will dare disturb you in my presence." Once he does and closes his eyes, I stroke his neck near his horn. "If the light is too cruel, let the darkness be your refuge. There are many other souls like yours who hold this dear, and they await someone like you."

* * *

If the light is too cruel, let darkness be your refuge.

Naoki was back in the underpass; he could tell that by the stale scent alone. It felt like he was waking from a nightmare, although he knew it really happened. His entire family was gone, possibly out of reach forever. But there was someone... no, that was ridiculous. He was being used, that much was clear. It was also clear that the angel who offered salvation was holding his family hostage. Something had to be done about that, but what?

The game of candelabrum. Challenge another bearing one and you not only gained that candelabrum, you gained command over them for the duration of the Vortex World. It had started as a fight between the fiends. While there was a chance that was a lie to some degree, it should be only fiends who were participating. His senses had been dampened, but he was certain that the horsemen who bailed him out had been fiends. They had reached heaven easily if their quick arrival was any indication. They might even include the one who kept pulling him out of death's grasp. The fiends were under direct command of Lucifer and Lucifer was watching him in hopes of something...

He couldn't rest forever. Naoki sat up and shook his head. He was lying with a bundle of blankets... within the manikin hideout? As soon as he moved, Uzume moved closer to him. "Are you awake? That was really strange."

"Yeah, sorry for worrying you," he said, opening his eyes carefully. He licked his lips and recalled the scent of the wind before the storm. Ag Incense, so he'd been returned after that. Hifumi was with him too. "What exactly happened? Sorry, things have been strange for me too."

"We were going off to battle that powerful demon in the passage past here and you suddenly screamed and went into a seizure," Uzume said. "I didn't know what to do about that. But then somebody showed up and ordered us to take you back here. I've felt something like that before, back in the basement of the hospital before I met you as Pixie."

"It seemed like a really bad idea to go against them," Momunofu added. "Be thankful they're on your side."

Uzume nodded. "It's been a few phases since we got you here, but you seemed like you were sleeping again. And the manikins have been weird. They offered this spot to you right away and were asking when you'd wake up."

"Don't worry about them, but you might as well let them know that I'm awake," Naoki said. "I need a couple minutes to get my thoughts together on this. We can't move on unless we beat the demon standing in our path."

Uzume nodded and left. When she came back, one of the female manikins was with her. "Do you want some rice porridge?" she asked, offering him an old bowl. "We set this place up because some still get nervous breakdowns and need a place to rest, and I make them rice porridge because it's supposed to be comforting."

"Sure, thank you," Naoki said, accepting the bowl. As she left immediately after, he agreed briefly that it was weird. They'd been terrified of him and the others as demons at first. The shopkeeper's request was understandable, seeking someone strong to do what they could not. On the other hand, this kindness was uncalled for, and risky on their part. But it was a very human kindness. What were these manikins really?

That wasn't important right now. His immediate obstacle was Matador; he still wanted to find Yuko, for which he needed to meet the leader of the Mantra past here. And if he was going to take this game of candelabrum seriously, he shouldn't back down. Matador was a skilled fast swordsman with a talent for Force magic. Hifumi could block some damage, but it could only protect him so far. Kamudo could lessen the physical attacks, but he could only have one magatama's power at the fore. If Matador had a weakness, they did not have a skill to take advantage of it.

Except, Matador's fighting style was formal. He thrived on showmanship; his power was enough to give himself a phantom crowd just for their cheers. A matador was a bullfighter, trained for this one type of battle (which might simply be a show at its core). In contrast, Naoki was still feeling out his demonic powers. He was using what he'd seen work, what the instinct of the magatamas told him. There was one time in his old life when he'd won a wrestling match against a competitor who'd been in his club for several years. Naoki's coach had told him that amateurs could be the most difficult challenge for experienced fighters because they were most unpredictable. That was one thing that accounted for beginning's luck. It wasn't something he could rely on for long, but for this one battle, it might just do something.

By the time he finished the porridge, he had a few ideas to try. He'd rather not die again and end up with the angels, but the most promising strategy he could come up with was risky. Besides, there was something else to settle before going into battle. "Uzume, Momunofu?" When they both looked to him, he set the bowl down in his lap. "That was Lucifer you met with when I collapsed."

"That was really...?" Momunofu asked, nervous but not in disbelief.

"Ah, that's, quite lucky," Uzume said, trying to bluff. "But it explains it so well."

"He's not giving me orders yet, but he is keeping an eye on me as one of his fiends," Naoki explained. "The guy we've been preparing to face is another fiend. He's actually killed us a few times. Lucifer doesn't want me dead yet, but he does want me in on some game the fiends are playing. This last time, something went wrong." He took a deep breath. He didn't need to go into much detail, they should get the picture. "I've been considering how to deal with this fiend. I know precisely how deadly he can be, but it will not be right for me to move on without defeating him."

"Ah, you can't resist a competition your clan is having," Uzume said.

"Of course, you must meet up to the challenges of your peers no matter what is at stake," Momunofu agreed. Since he was a brute now, that would be unquestionable to him.

"The competition is only going to get fiercer as I move forward," Naoki said. "I may not explain this all to new recruits we pick up. But you two have been with me from the start, even if that hasn't been all that long. I wanted you to know about this. And if you wish, you don't need to be involved. If you want to break our contracts and keep out of this trouble, it's fine, I'll let you go. After all, the candelabrum ultimately belong to Lucifer and we are already involved in his plans."

"Hmm, it is intimidating to think we're getting tangled up in this," Uzume said, putting a hand to her cheek.

"You can't think that way!" Momunofu said, clanking his spear on the ground. "We've agreed to be your partners, Demi, although since you're being drawn up into a proper fiend, it's clear we can be no more than followers."

"That's true, fiends have no peers," Uzume said.

He nodded. "As I am currently, the choice is clear. The Momunofu are created to serve a superior being. Even if you are not that exact being, I am proud to serve you. I will not be leaving your side and that resolve will be kept even should you change me again."

"Thank you, I won't waste your service," Naoki said, feeling like that would please him. From his salute, he was right.

Uzume chuckled. "Good, good. And Demi, I'm already containing an angel for your sake. To leave you now, or ever, would be a waste of that act. You have my loyalty forever, no matter what I may become. Although..." she giggled.

"What is it?" he asked, although he had his suspicions from that giggle.

There was a happy blush to her face. "You have my loyalty, but my utmost love belongs to another man. I'm sorry, it's part of this frame I currently inhabit. I have never even met him, nor a shade of his being. But should I meet him, please forgive me if I become a little flaky."

Smiling at that, he asked, "Sarutahiko?"

"Oh good, you know," she said, smiling back. "It must have been quite a love to imprint on us shades. I hope I will not betray you, but in that one exception, I unfortunately cannot promise anything to you."

"I understand," Naoki said. "So then, our opponent is Matador. Here's what I've observed."

* * *

And he died.

But it was something of a privilege of experienced demons that a physical death was not enough to undo their souls like other beings. Death was but a momentary setback. Besides, one of the constructs of this game was that if the Demifiend willed it, they could reconstitute themselves after a moment. That did mean that if the Demifiend fell, he wasn't experienced enough to keep his identity for long, which could lead to a ripple effect of those connected to him being stalled by death more than usual. But what good was existing without some risk?

Matador's spirit manifested once Naoki took hold of the Candelabrum of Foundation. "Magnificent, you fight with such savagery," he said. Actually, that had surprised him a great deal. Matador had been giving an impassioned speech for his crowd and the boy had tackled him right out of it. "If you wish to refine such passionate power, I would be happy to show you how. I am Matador the Fiend, my sword is yours to command."

Naoki nodded. "I am Demi the Fiend, I'll hold you up to that," he said. Interesting, so close to the truth but not there. Then he added, "You killed me a few times."

Did he already have the capacity to surpass death? Or had he managed to make it this far without dying too much? "Ah, I must not have taken up your candelabrum in time to claim ownership," Matador said. "I know they're not even true phantoms, but I can't resist the allure of a good show."

"The angels got hold of me after one of those deaths," Naoki said.

Err... that was not supposed to happen. Naoki was being given a few chances to be saved by Pale Rider, as his training called for them not to hold back but they didn't want to lose him entirely early on. "Huh, well it's a good thing you got away." But how? He was still vulnerable to the power angels wielded.

For a moment, it seemed like Naoki was angry. But he closed his eyes, thankfully not blaming him for the close call. "I'll call on you if I need your skills, but since you're supposed to be serving me now, can you keep an eye out for any angels? I can sense those nearby, but apparently they're watching me from afar too."

Matador bowed to him. "Of course, I'm fine with being your rear guard." It wasn't a showy position, true, but earning his trust could let him come out in some spectacular battles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I did some editing yesterday, fixing a persistent spelling error and making some grammatical stuff consistent. I really thought it was Kagatsuchi, but it's Kagutsuchi; I blame speed reading for that one, the word shapes are the same. Don't have much to say about the story itself at this point.


	12. Friendship Under Fire

Any time now... Isamu leaned against the pillar of the lowest torch and looked towards the door he should come through. As much as he'd like to be the hero this time, there was a big problem of all the demons hanging around inside this building. Pascal was pretty cool, but Isamu didn't think one dog was going to be enough against a bunch of oni and all their allies. But Naoki was half-demon now and really strong, plus he had his two demon partners. They should be able to pass through together much easier.

"Though I don't know why he gets two partners when I've just got you and he's got demonic powers of his own," Isamu muttered, shifting his hat.

"He's been recognized as a leader among demons," Pascal said. "You would have to learn about demon summoning and gain recognition that way to earn the ability to make contracts."

"You know, he's really just a normal kind of guy, mostly," Isamu said. "A little weird but not the cool kind of weird, not until now. But I guess everyone's a bit weird, so he's still average."

Pascal titled his head. "What do you mean, master?"

"Ah, nothing really," he said, then saw some people come in through the doors. Finally. "Hey, Naoki!"

"Isamu?" Naoki called, stopping where he was just past the doors.

Smiling, he went over to meet him. "Man, you have no idea how glad I was to find out that you were alive. I've been doing all kinds of stuff trying to find Ms. Takao and you, and I thought you really were dead for a while. It's been a crazy time."

Even thought he was admitting to this, Naoki didn't seem to be paying attention. He'd closed his eyes and seemed like he was concentrating on something else. He wasn't even emoting at all.

"Naoki? Hey, what're you up to?" Isamu tried to come closer to flick his forehead or something, but Naoki held his hand up and grimaced.

"Hang on, give him a minute to get used to this area," Uzume said, stepping between them. "He's sensing everything you can see and more, so he can't properly respond yet."

"Whoa, seriously now?" Did that make what he'd researched with the Amala drum less useful? If they hadn't been best friends, Isamu felt like he could be jealous of Naoki now.

"Of course," the guy in blue armor said. "So leave him be."

Isamu didn't like being told what to do, but if it was for Naoki's sake, he could be a bit patient. Although now that they were face to face, he had to admit that his friend was unsettling now. It'd looked cool through the Amala network, like he'd suddenly turned into a rebel of some kind. But those glowing bits on his markings pulsed like they were connected to his heart. Isamu's skin prickled like some kind of invisible entity was touching him. And even though he'd never been that superstitious, Isamu felt like Naoki was studying him although his eyes were closed. Just how powerful was he?

Naoki licked his lips in a creepy way, then looked at him. "I'm glad to see you too, Isamu," he said weakly, smiling a bit.

Smiling back and acting confidant, he replied, "Yeah, even if you've changed a lot. Actually, I was waiting on you here. I've been working with those terminals and finding out all kinds of things. That's how I knew you were coming; I tried looking into useful things for you. It's great because we're both looking for Ms. Takao now."

Then he had to go and lick his lips again. "Ah, that's why you taste like the network. You should be careful with those."

They should be talking about rescuing Ms. Takao now, not this. "What is this, do you taste your surroundings like a lizard?"

"More or less," Naoki said like it was a normal thing to him now. "The network can be really dangerous and swallow you up with its information. I traveled through there once, I've felt it to be so."

"It can't be that dangerous," Isamu said, to which Naoki shook his head. "Well, whatever, I can tell you what I found out. You know about how Ms. Takao is the Maiden that Nihilo is holding on to?"

"She is the Maiden of Conception that assisted to bring about this Vortex World," Naoki said.

"I've seen that, but it can't be true," he said. "She wouldn't do something crazy like this."

"Right," he said, even though he'd said the opposite just now. "I think Hikawa tricked her, but I can't say how much. They won't let me into their facility near Ginza, so I'm here to see if the Mantra can help me break in."

"Yeah, but these guys won't be much for negotiations," Isamu said. "They fight and kill each other for sport, and it'd be hard to get them to listen if you can't back up your words with strength. They've got this guy Thor who's the second in command and he's supposed to be some god of thunder."

"The real Thor or a shade?" Naoki asked.

That wasn't something Isamu had thought of. "I don't know, actually."

Naoki looked up at the skyscraper in front of them. "There is a true god here." He licked his lips again. "Not electricity, so I doubt it's Thor. And Narukami and Gaea, they're in there somewhere. Three candelabrum as well; there's a lot to accomplish here."

"How's any of that going to help us rescue Ms. Takao?" Isamu asked "You're just going to ask them for an alliance to get to where she is, right?"

"Do you know where she really is?" Naoki asked, looking back to him.

He scratched his head. "Actually, no. That guy Hikawa has got the information blocked somehow." Naoki sighed at that and looked back at the skyscraper. "But ah, no offense to you, but I think these guys will let me get in since I'm a human. We're supposed to be participating in some hokey elaborate ritual for the weird star, so humans are kind of valuable around here. These guys are even looking for one."

"It's not hokey, it's very real," he said. "Two Reasons have already been named, I felt them a while back. Maybe you should get with Hijiri and work with him on the terminals to figure out what Hikawa is up to. My followers and I should be enough to deal with the Mantra."

But that would relegate him to the role of a nerdy sidekick; he was already fighting to get a role as a hero instead. "Aw come on, we're buddies. We could find her much faster if we work together."

"I don't want you walking right into this place because you're my friend," Naoki said firmly. "And, because you're fully human. From what I've been hearing, unless you can come up with an official Reason that matches their philosophy, I don't think the Mantra will pull their punches with you. What have you thought about as a Reason bearer?"

"I'm getting sick of that question," Isamu said, trying not to be too annoyed. "Ms. Takao's definitely in trouble, I've been doing all I can to rescue her. But there's only so much I can do with only Pascal here to help."

"Hijiri's really knowledgeable, but he may be behind you on the terminal research," he said. "Or, you could help me in coming up with a Reason that will restore the world to the way it was. I don't think there was anything wrong with it, so if we can just restore it all, including the billions that died, that could be the best outcome."

"I don't want to deal with that, I never asked for that kind of chore," Isamu said, clenching a fist. "Man, I don't want to fight with you. We've finally met up and we've always gotten more done together."

"All right, but you've got to be careful," Naoki said. "Pascal here seems good for defending you and keeping out of trouble, so stick by him. I just hope we don't run into Thor."

"Well then don't say that because then we're sure to run into him," he said. Good, he knew his friend wouldn't let him down even if he was being overly cautious.

At the end of the torch-lined stairs, there was a tall door with glowing squares, looking more like it was made for giants than humans. A small snowman was swinging his arms and staring up at that door, but looked to them as they approached. "Oh, hee-ho-hello there!"

"Hi Heeho," Naoki said. "How's your quest going?"

"Great, I got the money to travel, ho! And I came to join the Mantra so I can be super cool and powerful!" The little demon then looked back up to the door. "But it's so hee-scary here. There's so much fire; I don't know if I can get in."

"I dunno if they'd want to take a little guy like you in in the first place," Isamu said. This Heeho seemed too cutesy to fit in with the demons he'd seen of the Mantra.

"Hey, I'm gonna be big and powerful someday, just you wait!" Heeho said, stomping a foot down. But it didn't look that intimidating with that permanent smile on his face.

"Well you got up here past the stairs of fire," Naoki said, still trying to cheer up the demon. Of course, always like him to be playing the good guy even when he was a demon now.

"But there's more fire just past the doors," Heeho said. "A hee-ho lot more! Maybe I'll bulk myself up against fire out here. When I can go through those doors, I'll definitely be stronger."

"You stay determined like that, you will," Naoki said, making Heeho bounce in glee. "Actually, have you seen a guy called Thor around here recently? I'm not sure what he looks like, but he's a powerful thunder god."

"Hooo..." he patted the side of his head. "I dunno! A few demons have come in and out, but they look right over the top of me. About the only guys that aren't giants are the hee ho pyro jacks, and the pyro I met here was a hee-ho jerk."

"Guess we're taking our chances huh?" Isamu said, though he felt excited for this. He might finally do something awesome and inspiring.

"Right," Naoki said, going up to the door. He closed his eyes there, then waved his demons closer. "There's some nues just inside. I can handle them, but stall for me in case they want to battle right off."

It was like that as they made their way through the halls. Isamu had copied some maps to his cell phone, but Naoki would just walk into the place and know how the current floor was laid out. While there were many demons, they never really got ambushed because Naoki always sensed them coming. He also somehow knew exactly what characteristics a demon they were facing had, something that took Isamu a while to figure out with the terminals. Uzume seemed better at magic, while Momunofu was better at weapon combat, but Naoki was good at both magic and fist fighting all of a sudden.

On the third floor, he sensed a problem. "Thor's ahead. He standing in the way of a different elevator. There's no stairs up, so we'll need that elevator. And he has Narukami." He put his hands over his face.

"Oh dear, you'll have to challenge him at some point then," Uzume said.

"Who's this Naru?" Isamu asked. Naoki had muttered about them and Gaea at a few points.

"It's a demonic parasite, where I get my powers from," Naoki said. After rubbing his cheeks, he put his hands down. "My thoughts get messed up when I'm near one, like I have to get them, whatever it takes."

"Well we need to meet with Gozu-Tennoh and Thor's his second in command," Isamu said, determined to keep himself involved somehow. "A lot of these guys seemed to respect you when you were winning, so maybe you just have to challenge him too." Pascal whimpered a little, not being helpful.

"Thor would ruin your guardian," Naoki said. "And unfortunately, Uzume's a liability against him too. I'll probably have to call out Matador."

"Well maybe I can do something against him," Isamu said. There had to be something he could do.

"Against Thor?" Naoki asked skeptically.

"Well you gotta try crazy things at some point, right?" he said, starting down the hall. Pascal followed after despite how nervous he was.

"This is more than crazy," Naoki said, hurrying after him. "You could end up dead."

"They aren't supposed to kill the surviving humans, it's like a law or something," he said.

"Not exactly," Uzume said. "And there's plenty that would not care."

"Well I'm going," Isamu said, not stopping for them.

"Isamu!" Naoki said sternly, trying to stop him.

He turned and threw him off, not wanting to be patronized any more. Then a flash of light filled his awareness. Isamu couldn't feel his body; Naoki caught him. Why... couldn't he do anything? Naoki looked down the hall, then growled in an inhuman manner. He set Isamu down and barreled ahead after whoever had struck him down.

Why was Naoki the one getting to be the hero?

Heavy footsteps approached, shaking the floor with every stride. A rough hand grabbed him, pulling him up limply. A face shrouded by a helmet peered down at him, then snorted. When his other hand covered his face, Isamu felt like someone had a reach deep into his body. The grip tightened...

A multitude of colors and emotions shattered across his awareness.

* * *

Fog of nostalgia. But, this wasn't that long ago? Isamu had passed him a comic, claiming it was great. Naoki shook his head. "It's just a lame series of dick jokes."

"Aw come on, just look at that girl," he said, grinning. "Who cares what the joke is when you get art like that?"

He tossed the book back. "Keep your porn to yourself. Besides, that was pretty bad for the girl."

"Man, you're weird for not getting it," Isamu said, shuffling the book back to its semi-hidden spot.

People outside his family kept saying that he was ordinary and average, taking a moment to think of anything about him. Not only was it embarrassing, but sometimes it got bad enough that he'd think he wasn't worthwhile to anyone but his family. But Naoki knew he was weird for not getting these things. He usually kept it to himself because that was even more shameful than being forgettable. But he'd been wanting to talk about it with someone and Isamu knew him well. "Actually, I've been thinking..."

"Yeah, me too," he said. "In a few weeks, it'll be our last year of high school, right? So I've got one last year to get a chance at Ms. Takao's love."

Naoki felt embarrassed; he should have seen that coming. They had conflicting opinions more than not lately. And, Isamu didn't listen much to him. They'd been calling each other best friends for years, though, ever since second grade. Were they really falling apart?

"I will win her over, I swear it," Isamu said.

Naoki felt like he should try to fix things, even if it meant putting aside his own thoughts for now. "You might have better luck when senior year is over and we're not her students any more."

"Aw, but that's part of the allure," he said.

That was surprisingly consistent. Maybe it was his concern over Isamu this time. Was... was he okay?

Naoki bolted awake, feeling disoriented from the suddenness of it. He was in a square room... a cell, the door out had a slot of bars for observation. And he wasn't alone: Isamu was curled up in a ball against the other wall. Closing his eyes, Naoki focused his thoughts towards his horn until he was alert enough to get information from it. Isamu had been electrocuted (they'd been arguing because Isamu was being dumb and then he dropped right away from one electrical bolt) and was oddly light on magatsuhi. Had they already drained him? The manikins spoke of that.

Tasting a strong hot soup with wasabi, Naoki recalled a fury so intense that he could not see anything but the one who'd hurt his friend. His head came to Thor's hips, but he still attacked. Right for the knee, if he could make him buckle, he'd be on the right track to win. Thor had thrown him into the wall, but that was nothing. Naoki attacked again and...

Narukami got hold of his ear and invaded. Not expecting that, Naoki knew nothing of what happened after that. But the new magatama had not been enough, unlike with Forneus.

What now? Naoki crawled over to sit by Isamu's side. Tugging on Anhk, he was able to cast a weak healing spell on him. But that wasn't near enough. A lack of magatsuhi could destroy a demon's physical body, perhaps even their soul. What of a human? Was there a way to transfer what he had to Isamu to wake him up faster?

Anxiety bubbled up from the magatama. One didn't give away magatsuhi unless one had an excess. But he had more than enough to support himself and his two demons... well, three now when he called Matador in. Naoki closed his eyes and focused on sensing magatsuhi. Once he could see the red glow within his mind, he tried to move it.

He found he couldn't move it far away from his body. Maybe with more practice, but he didn't want to waste time. Bending over to put his forehead on Isamu's shoulder, Naoki focused on this transfer. Isamu had his own magatsuhi still, a different quality from his own... no, don't draw his in too close. Draw it close just enough to make contact, then pass over the energy. The two flows melded, his friend's growing until he could reclaim awareness and build his own energy back up.

Isamu grumbled, so Naoki set a hand on his side to sit back up. "Ugh... Naoki? What're you doing?"

"Waking you up," he said.

The transfer had worked well enough that Isamu pushed his hand away and started to get back up. "Hey, I don't like you that way."

Relieved some, he laughed softly. "That's not it."

"Well what am I supposed to think, waking up to you leaning over like that?" Isamu rubbed his arm. "Man, I feel so exhausted and numb."

"You got shot through with lightning and then drained of magatsuhi," Naoki said, going back over tot he other wall. "If I hadn't given some back to you, you'd still be out like a light."

"Is that like some magic CPR?" He closed his eyes. "Maybe I should have just stayed asleep."

"You can if you want." He felt energy swelling up. That was Kagutsuchi.

"Well now I'm awake, so where are we?" He looked around, trying to stay alert.

"A jail cell," he said. "Uh, hey, if I get really strange in a couple of minutes, it's because Kagutsuchi is full. I'd leave, but I don't think they'd let me."

"How can you tell? There's no windows."

"It's the way it affects demonic power," Naoki said.

"I already think this is strange," Isamu said.

Unfortunately, Matador chose that moment to appear within the cell. "Did you need me for this trial by combat?" he said, pulling his cape across his chest. Isamu stared at him.

"Yes, and I should get the other two revived beforehand," Naoki said. Not quite now, he'd rather not overwhelm Isamu with four demons afflicted by full Kagutsuchi. "Do you happen to know anything more than it's a trial by combat?"

"Si, I have wandered these halls as a shadow as it lies so near," Matador said. "There are three rounds with three demons they choose as executioners. If you can defeat all three, you prove your innocence. It's a classic form, typical for a god like Gozu-Tennoh. So far, you'll probably be up against an orthus, a dakini, and Thor himself."

"I might have a chance against Thor when I'm not distracted by a magatama," he said, rubbing his ear.

"Who is this?" Isamu asked.

"I am the mighty Fiend Matador, you had best show some respect," he replied haughtily.

"He's one of my followers now," Naoki said, which Matador tried to ignore in front of another person.

"Can he break us out?" Isamu asked.

"Not in the state you're in, no," Naoki said. They were still on the third floor, but Isamu was tired and wouldn't be able to move quickly.

"If I was dismissed and resummoned outside the door, something could be done to that effect," Matador said. "But he is right, you need more time to recover. You can bring your guardian back too, they aren't affected as powerfully by the Kagutsuchi phase."

Hearing that, Naoki called out a few small items. "I've got an extra revival bead and some life stones you can use."

"No, he hasn't been of much use to me," Isamu said.

"Doesn't he provide you with safe food and water?" Naoki asked. "That's what Chiaki said about hers."

"Well there's that, but nothing else." Naoki passed over the recovery items, although Isamu didn't make a move to use them.

"I came in part because I can control myself better under full moonlight," Matador said. "And Kagutsuchi. You're still a youth, Naoki. Since you don't wish to harm your friend, I shall keep an eye on things."

"Upgraded from a child, huh?" Naoki said, feeling some amusement. Yeah, it was starting. "Thanks."

"There is still much for you to learn to truly be one of us," he said. "Also, I can confirm that the angels are watching you closely as well, some very high ranking ones at that." He paused. "We'll discuss them later, it's important but not right now."

"Man, and you've got angels after you too?" Isamu said, trying to take this lightly. "You're like some anti-hero guy, that's cool."

"It's not cool," Naoki said, angered at the reminder. Maybe he should say exactly what he thought; no, he shouldn't be cruel to his friend.

"Don't be sensitive, that ain't good," Isamu said. "You've got all the cool stuff going for you, so you shouldn't be complaining when you're way better off than you were."

"What, do you want angels to be holding the souls of your entire family hostage because you're a threat to them?" he said. "That's what this gets me."

"That can't be right," Isamu said, looking over at the door for some reason.

For a moment, Naoki entertained the idea of forcing him to eat his dorky hat. Matador must have seen his expression since he tapped him lightly on the back with his cape. "What he says is the truth of the matter, that's one of the things I learned," Matador said.

"Oh, really?" Isamu shrugged, then looking down in thought.

Is that all he was going to do? Maybe it would take him a minute; talking seriously wasn't one of Isamu's strong suits. But he shouldn't be so heartless as to be disinterested on hearing that. Naoki's thoughts struggled with each other, but the light of Kagutsuchi still pierced through. After a bit, he laughed quietly.

"What's so funny?" Isamu said, taking that as a distraction from heavy topics.

He had no idea what he was in for. "It's just that my human side is being so desperate to keep polite as friends when its voice is weakest," Naoki said. "I want to talk, but you don't want to listen to what I have to say when it's not about your interests. That's always how it is, isn't it?"

"Well what the heck am I supposed to say to something like that?" he said. "And you said you'd say strange things now."

Feeling an impulse to really mess with him, he smiled and replied, "Not so much strange as being totally without normal human inhibitions. There was one full Kagutsuchi when I wrestled with a nekomata because she disrupted me in the shower. You know, one of the cat girls that are handy with charm magic."

"Oh really?" Isamu said, getting a dumb grin on his face.

"Does that turn you on?" Naoki said; Matador chuckled near him.

Red-faced, he stammered for a couple seconds in response. "H-hey, don't tease me like that!"

"Well that's what you get for not wanting to listen when I wanted to say something," he said, then leaned against the wall behind him. He had to do so at an angle due to his horn. "When I really wanted to discuss something with a human that demons wouldn't grasp. But you aren't interested enough to care. You know, there was another time when I wanted to talk with you about something important to me. But even though I had to be acting troubled because of all the doubt it was causing me, you completely ignored me and went into your latest ill-fated plot to romance Yuko."

"When was that?" Isamu asked, instead of what the matter was.

So of course, he couldn't be told directly. "That's why I've been avoiding you all break," Naoki said, startling him. "That's right, you failed me at a time that I needed you and so I ignored you. I told myself on several occasions that I'd call you some afternoon so we could meet up and talk, but then I'd convince myself out of it because you'd ignore me again. But really, you'd hurt me with all of your insensitivity. We have different interests, like we play different games and we prefer different restaurants. Whenever I'd suggest somewhere to eat, you'd shoot it down immediately and insist on the places you preferred."

"Hey, it wasn't like that," he said, tapping his hand on his leg. But they were trapped in the same cell, he had to listen.

"Then where do I like to eat?" he said as a challenge.

"Black Rabbit's? We ate there a lot."

He shook his head. "I hate the way they cook their fish, didn't you notice? And their vegetable dishes all tasted the same no matter what was in them, but it was marginally better than the fish."

"Well why didn't you say anything?" he asked, trying to pin the blame on him.

"I did, many times," Naoki said. "Like I always said that you'd not end up with Yuko while she was still our teacher. But neither matches what you want, so you conveniently forget about what I say. Yet I still thought I should turn to you when I needed someone; that was a foolish thing. You were so important to me and I'd get blinded by nostalgia instead of accepting how you'd changed for the worse."

"What, you had a crush on me?" Isamu asked, squeamish at that thought.

Naoki laughed at him. Maybe suffering was conducive to magatsuhi production? Because one couldn't tell now that he'd been drained recently. "If you'd listened all along, you'd know that was preposterous. But it has to always be about you, doesn't it? Or it's not worth paying attention to. If I was a girl so that you'd find it acceptable, I wouldn't be in love with you. Given how you treat me as a friend, I can't see how any girl could stand you for long in a relationship."

"Well stop acting all creepy and I wouldn't think like that," Isamu said, looking away from him again and wanting to be away.

"I guess our friendship really is dead," Naoki said. It hurt to say it, but there was also a feeling of relief that he didn't have to put up with this anymore.

Isamu clutched his knees with both arms. "Wait, what do you mean by that? I haven't done anything wrong."

"You've done so much wrong that I've been thinking that for months now," he said. "But I always thought I should try to fix things, because we were best friends, right? I agreed to all your dumb plans when I shouldn't have, especially the one that landed us in here."

"Well I'm not going to sit back and do nothing, I'm not that kind of guy," he said.

Naoki nodded. "I know, and that's stupid. You contributed nothing helpful to this effort; I could have found a way around Thor if you weren't around. Are you expecting that you can magically find Yuko and rescue her to automatically earn her affections? This isn't one of your dating games, it's not going to work like that. But I still brought you along because you insisted that it's what friends do. Although maybe that was a good mistake since I can finally give up on you."

"Stop that, you're completely wrong!" Isamu said, clenching a fist and starting to move.

Matador was quick to rebuke him with his cape. "Don't even try, boy. You'd be creamed if you provoke him enough."

The full Kagutsuchi was passing now. Naoki shrugged. "Maybe I am wrong, maybe you'll be different when you finally grow up."

While Isamu stopped his rash move, he still glowered over at him. Naoki closed his eyes, mentally cursing himself for saying all that. True, he did think things like that, but they were unchecked ideas that didn't need to be spoken. But what could he say now? He'd eviscerated their friendship and there was no taking that back.

"Hey, hey!" A pyro jack came up to the door and clanged his lantern against the bars. "You'd better be awake in there! We were supposed the hold the trial during full K, but then some doofus caused a delay. The crowd's getting restless, so you're coming out of here for the trial. Just leave your squishy human in here, he'll get splattered too early."

Now there was no time to try apologizing. Naoki got to his feet. "Come on Matador." As the cell door opened, he did think of something. "If you're recognizing him as mine, nobody should dare get in here and drain him again or I will rearrange their face."

"How do you think you're going to enforce that, huh?" the pyro jack asked smugly. "You're the prisoner here. Off to your trial!"

Naoki went right up to the pyro jack and glared down at him. "I'll enforce it with my fists, just like I'm going to do in the trial. And I know I'll win; you know why? Because I broke Lucifer's nose and walked away. This trial of yours does not scare me."

"Y-you're just bluffing," the pyro jack said, although he shrank away from Naoki's gaze.

Matador chuckled. "He tells the truth, little gourd head. So unless you want to say goodbye to the world, you ought to let the others know not to touch the boy in here while we go win that trial. Capiche?"

It wasn't really true, but it was effective. "A-all right, but if you lose the trial, all bets are off cause you have to be lying then. N-now get moving."

On the walk over to the trial arena, Naoki held back on a sigh. "You said you were going to keep me from harming him," he said quietly to Matador.

"I did that much," Matador said. "If he can't handle such criticisms, then he's no man, just a whining babe."

"I hope he can learn from that," he said, although he still didn't think there was a chance for their friendship to be rekindled now.

* * *

Isamu hoped Naoki hadn't noticed, but he was quivering. He hadn't been kidding when he said he got crazy just because Kagutsuchi was full. How should he feel about what had been said? Angry, afraid, ashamed? None of that sounded right because a cool guy should be confidant, collected, and unshakable. Getting emotional was a girl's thing, it was wimping out for a guy. Although Naoki had seemed anything but wimpy when he got emotional just now.

Had their friendship been dying for months? That couldn't be right. Naoki hadn't complained much before; he always seemed happy to hang out and goof off. And while Black Rabbit didn't have the best fish, it certainly wasn't enough to hate the place. Naoki couldn't have been avoiding him all of this past school break. Isamu had been hanging around some of their usual spots, they just happened to miss each other.

Was it because Naoki was half demon now? Yeah, that had to be it. He'd mentioned a couple times about how his human side tried to hold him back. And demons were known for lying. He couldn't take every word they spoke for granted, not even from Pascal.

Anyhow, Naoki wouldn't really be complaining that much as his normal self. And why would he complain? He had the power to do things he wanted. Even if that threat to the pumpkin ghost was a bluff, he still convinced it through sheer force of will. He was cool now, with angels watching him as a threat and crazy demons like that Matador serving him. Naoki should feel awesome right now and not let anyone hold him back.

And he probably could rescue Ms. Takao without trouble once he knew where she was. Isamu wished he had that kind of ability. He wouldn't mind all that much if his family was held hostage. Heck, he might not care at all with demon powers at hand. He'd been anticipating the time he could move out of that house because his parents were a drag to be around and kept fussing over what he was doing. Isamu was worried over Ms. Takao, but he was doing all he could to find her instead of sulking and snapping at people.

But he couldn't do anything.

No, he had to be capable of something. And Naoki would surely calm down, come back and apologize. They'd been best friends for years, something that wouldn't die so easily. Isamu would find a way to get what he wanted. Yeah. Even if it meant going along with the hokey rituals.


	13. Justice By Mantra Law

Take two revival beads in hand... close his fingers over them... think over those who'd been lost. Their souls were still in contract. It was unfortunate this only worked with demons. The beads crumbled to dust.

Uzume and Momunofu appeared near him, barely alive but back. "Sorry about that," Uzume said wearily.

"It's fine, I wouldn't blame either of you," Naoki said, handing them each a bead to get themselves back in shape. They were less common items, but this instance was worth it. "Now we've got this trial by combat to pass." He lowered his voice. "The third round is against Thor himself, so we're going to throw everything we've got at him. The first two rounds should be simple, we'll be conservative for the most part, work on building up power for Thor."

"We should really give our all for all battles," Momunofu said, a little disappointed.

"Ah, no no," Matador said, waving a finger at him. "We have a crowd to perform for this time. Hold back your strength with those that don't matter and make it look like you're not. Then when your true ability comes forth, your worthy opponent is shocked and your audience most thrilled. You've got power buffs and I've got agility buffs. We've got to slyly get our buffs in while we're playing soft."

"Will your buffing move cover our whole group?" Naoki asked, unsure of if he was used to team battle.

"I will make it so, for your glory as our leader is my own," Matador said. "I give my word on my honor as a performer, and as a clanmate."

Naoki was leery of his word as a clanmate. But his desire to give a good show could be something to trust. "All right, I'm counting on that."

Not long after that, they walked into a cavernous room that was filled with brown pillars and lit torches. Cheers and jeers quickly came from overhead; a light kept them from seeing the audience up there, but Naoki could sense that the seats were packed. While he'd tried to sense into this arena first so it didn't overcome him on arrival, getting a fresh scent of the blood, sweat, pain, and pride in here was an unwelcome tide. There was a trench on the side of one of the pillars, dropping down on a similar room filled with death. He recalled it being labeled an execution room.

By the time he could focus again, the crowd had quieted and an unseen official was charging them. "You walked into our entrance uninvited and preceded to beat your way through our security."

"Doesn't that mean they weren't good?" Naoki asked, getting some laughs from overhead. Others were embarrassed.

"Be quiet in our court!" the official said. "So we'll add being disruptive in court to being a little sneak! And we have witnesses who say that you came from the direction of Ginza. You're probably a spy from the Nihilo organization meant to break us up from within."

"My methods seem more akin to what you'd do than what they'd do," he said. There were some grunts in agreement.

"Well..." the official was caught speechless. Naoki noticed that Thor was with him, whispering something. "Well that might be so, but it still doesn't excuse your intrusion when you're not one of us!" That got a clamor from overhead. "You are guilty as charged! If you want to prove your innocence, then destroy your executioners before they destroy you!"

The orthrus leaped down into the battle pit, causing a louder roar from overhead. The large dog snapped both of his heads. "Grrr, if I had been on guard duty, you wouldn't have gotten anywhere! Now you'll pay!"

Seeing as this beast had a typical pairing of a fire resistance and ice weakness, the orthrus was nothing to worry about. Uzume and Momunofu held back to start up their buffs while Naoki used ice breath against him. Some stroke of luck got the orthrus frozen immediately, causing the cheers to turn into laughter. Of course, the Mantra was most loyal to power.

Matador brought his saber up in front of his face, giving a glance Naoki's way. He nodded, allowing the other fiend to slam his weapon into orthrus and shatter his frozen body. Orthrus passed out; a red shine appeared between the bars, preventing his body from fading into magatsuhi. "And the first match goes to the Fiend Demi," the official said reluctantly. Some ikusas came in to pull the orthrus out of the arena and throw him down to the execution pit.

Most loyal to power, not to their own. Naoki felt a little sick, not seeing how this could make sense. If they did this often, it was cutting down their own numbers along with any prisoners. Unless demon revival could happen without contracts, and passed away members simply returned to join once they were alive again. Even with revival, it was a cruel thing to do to yourself.

A purple-skinned warrior woman came in next, wielding two swords. She had no armor aside from some gold bracers and was mostly naked; then again, he was participating in the same manner. "Don't think you're winning, because you won't last a moment against my blades," the yaksini said. She licked her lips, but it seemed more vicious than his own habit.

Immediately, Uzume used a Mazio against her. As Matador reported, she also had a typical pairing of force resistance and electric weakness. Uzume had the same pattern, but the yaksini didn't have electrical spells to turn on them. Momunofu continued their buff building and Naoki was able to knock her out with a focused blow.

"And the second match goes to the Fiend Demi," the official said, still not impressed. "But you're in for it now, because now you have to get past our second-in-command! Thor will strike you down!"

Thor appeared in a quiet flash of light, the air reverberating soundlessly. "You have fallen to me before, you will fall to me again," he said, unconcerned about the battle. He clenched his open fist, gathering electricity.

He was powerful, but his magic was less than his physical prowess. With that in mind, Naoki shifted Kamudo forward before focusing. At his side, Matador swung his red cape; the agility buff did not have the range Naoki would like, barely hitting Momunofu coming forward and not setting on Uzume at all (even though she could have used it most for dodging lightning). But it went over himself and Matador at full ability; it reminded him of the scent of that Ag Incense, the wind before a storm.

Naoki side-stepped right out of a lightning bolt and rushed for Thor. Having fought him before, the thunder god readied his hammer to knock him away. Kamudo helped him roll under the following swing and thrust his elbow backwards above Thor's left heel. He was hefty boots, but the attack broke through and crushed his tendons. Unbalanced with the weakened foot, Thor could only brace himself for a pincer strike from Matador and Momunofu.

In defense, Thor made a burst of lightning shower over himself. Naoki stepped back to focus his power again, then punched into the back of his right knee. The feeling of storm winds wrapped around him as he jumped aside to avoid the giant falling on top of him. Overhead, a murmuring tension built up in their audience. They were expecting a curb stomping, but not from his side.

Thor managed to see through Matador's cape tricks and knocked the skeleton into the bars with his hammer. While it had taken Naoki a couple minutes in his winning fight against Matador, Thor nearly took him out in that one blow. But that was just 'nearly'. Uzume was still in the fight because only the initial lightning attack could have hit her; she healed Matador to get him back in action. Momunofu was still making attacks with his spear where he had easy openings.

But Naoki was going to keep using Thor's size against him. It took focusing and waiting for the right moment... right as Thor was ending a hammer blow on Momunofu this time, before he was ready to attack again. Naoki punched Thor's elbow, trying to injure his hammer arm. The muscle and bone there made it a tougher target. Still, the resulting pain left Thor unable to stop Matador from thrusting his saber past the long dark hair into his neck, killing him in spite of the arena's enchantment.

In the stunned silence from that victory, Matador turned to him and bowed. "My commander, I hope I have served thee well."

Naoki was on the fence about Matador, leaning more towards disliking him for not being of any help with Isamu. But it couldn't be denied: that one statement put the entire audience into awe. "Yes, I'm proud to have you at my side," Naoki said, hazarding a guess that it would please the Mantra demons even more.

It had the desired effect, leading to a swelling of cheers and praise from overhead. While the ikusas hurried in in a panic to get Thor revived, bottles and bones got thrown down from overhead in celebration. One thing was dangerously close to hitting his head; Naoki snatched an armored bikini top out of the air, getting a chorus of hoots for that little extra. His demons were amused at that too. Hanging onto it to keep acting the part, he waited for them to stop throwing stuff and get Thor back.

"Uh, s-so then," the official said nervously, "the results of that trial, are, um..." They couldn't have many who defeated Thor. Was he always one of the executioners, or only in certain cases?

Thor raised his free hand, getting everyone to grow quiet. He was standing perfectly fine now; whatever they'd done to him was a full heal along with the revive. "What purpose did you have in coming here?"

"To speak with Gozu-Tennoh about trashing the Nihilo place near Ginza," Naoki said, stirring up excitement overhead. "Your nues at the front door attacked before we could ask about that and died too quickly to listen."

"With this power, you could have done so yourself," Thor said.

Now what? His magatama whispered an answer to him. While he was getting the hang of talking like this, that wasn't something he'd normally say outside of full Kagutsuchi. But then, the Mantra would like it. "I would like to cause them as much trouble as possible. Smashing them fast and hard when they don't expect it is more likely to crush them than drawing them out with a prolonged battle." There were some hoots and cheers for that.

"Hmph." It was a laugh restrained to keep a stern face; the helmet would help against any with normal senses. "Then take the elevator behind me to speak with our exalted leader. Judge, I declare the Fiend Demi to be innocent. Release him."

The official quickly responded, "Ah yes, then by Thor's judgment, no, out of respect for your power, all charges against Demi are dropped. You're welcome in our territory at any time." The audience was thunderous in applause and approval.

Dropping the bikini top, Naoki went over to Thor. "About the human you captured with me, I'll be taking him with me once my business here is done. All right?" He wasn't sure if that was enough to apologize, but he'd at least get Isamu out of this place.

Thor nodded. "Fine, I will let the guards here know. We won't do him any more harm as your property."

"Good." He led his group out of the arena to reach the elevator.

In the old world, this elevator would have had a large amount of destinations. Now, it went only between this floor and the sixtieth. Naoki felt further changes within the building as they rode higher and higher. Any rooms that had been there were removed for a massive support system, allowing the weight to be spread at the lower floors without taking out the rooms there. And the presence of the god being supported here grew even greater.

His thoughts drifted away from that. What was he doing? He'd cut off his friendship with Isamu, then claimed him as his property. He was meeting with a tyrant who wouldn't have a concept of mercy to start an attack on the one who'd killed the old world. And for the far future, he was contemplating an invasion of heaven. This wasn't like him, but it was what he wanted to do. It had to be the influence of the magatama and this Vortex World, twisting what he thought of as right and wrong.

And he'd not even been awake here the entire time, not like his friends. Chiaki took a ring from an unattended store just to boost her spirits, and Isamu seemed to be obsessing more than usual over Yuko in order to ignore the terrible events around them. Maybe it was just the sheer scale of everything, greater than any of them could deal with well.

You need to adapt to this world and survive, Naoki. If you want to bring back the world as it was, we will do that. It's your choice.

And there's also the choice to follow Lucifer's lead.

They tried to whisper that like part, like they wanted (or were instructed) to not shove it in his face. But they knew that was ultimately their purpose: to mold him into what Lucifer wanted. They couldn't affect him as much as a normal demonic possession if what Hijiri suggested was true. While the whole picture was beyond him, he was meant to make his own choices and take the consequences of them, such as what just happened with Isamu even if it had been the influence of Kagutsuchi.

He needed to find some way to better control himself in those conditions, that was clear. But how did he overcome his demon side while not blocking it out entirely? He did need the powers to do things here, or he'd be just like Isamu and Hijiri (Chiaki too).

At the top of the area, he felt a warning from his horn. One of the candelabrum holders was around. It couldn't be Gozu-Tennoh, right? He was a god, not a fiend. "Matador, what other fiends are in this area?" Naoki asked.

"I don't know where the others went, so I couldn't say," he replied.

Forbidden to or genuinely ignorant? "Eternity, Dignity, and Knowledge are here. Knowledge is closest, Eternity is waiting at the ground level, and Dignity comes and goes."

"Ah, if you can identify them that much, I could tell you who took them," Matador said. "If you sense them in different locales, they have not yet won a challenge over each other. Eternity was taken by Daisoujou; he's an old monk who defies death through rejection of worldly needs and desires."

"That doesn't sound very fiendish," Uzume said. Naoki nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, they stepped out onto the sixtieth floor, ending up outside the building. There was a brown stone walkway for the giant beings who dwelt here, but no protection from getting swept off the edge and falling straight to the ground. Although, that had the slight fortune of giving him less to sense before he could move on. The pervasive presence of Gozu-Tennoh also helped that.

Matador chuckled darkly. "Perhaps, but you ought to have seen the amount of suffering from those who tried to follow his lead. All in the name of spiritual enlightenment, they let themselves waste away. Perhaps a few did find what they were looking for; others learned why it is foolish for an ordinary being to deny basic needs and push faith past its limits."

"And what of the other two?" Naoki said, leading them towards a lengthy staircase that wrapped around the outside of the skyscraper.

"Dignity was taken by Hell Biker, who was the youngest Fiend until you came along... okay, well aside from Chemtrail, but Chemtrail is completely mad and I don't know why he was chosen. I must admit that I'm not that old either in this company; I've been around for a few centuries, but our elders like Daisoujou have been around for many more, even thousands of years. Anyhow, Hell Biker was born of a legacy of violence and pride among the rebels who ride motorcycles. He uses his as a weapon with reckless abandon, so I think you two might get along."

Because he'd fought Matador recklessly? "We'll see about that."

"And although I know what took the Candelabrum of Knowledge, I don't actually know much about them," Matador said.

"What do you mean by what took it rather than who?" Naoki asked, looking to him.

Matador shrugged. "It was some outsider. Within the Amala Universe, many possibilities arise. Beings that could not exist in one world exist in others. The outsider who has Knowledge is precisely that. They belong to a world where I couldn't, so I know little about them. Lucifer seemed impressed when this outsider wandered in, so honored them with our title while they're traveling Amala. They did agree to stick around while they had the candelabrum."

It was surprising that they'd let an outsider into this game. Naoki kept alert, but whoever it was did not approach. Good, he wanted to get his business with the Mantra done with before dealing with the other fiends. They walked around the building in ascent, finally reaching a massive door high above the elevator they'd entered from. It slid aside, welcoming them into the abode of Gozu-Tennoh.

As they walked through, it was obvious that this space had been remade for the god. No space meant for humans would be built this way. The crackle of the largest torches yet filled the room, reflected off pools of dark water on the sides. A giant throne took up much of the floor and the giant who filled it loomed over all in the area. With the fierce visage of a pagan god, there was no question that he was the strongest here even if he never left his throne.

_Kashima Naoki..._

"Hmm?" An odd feeling came over his horn, barely hearing someone call his name. But it did not match what he saw and felt of Gozu-Tennoh.

_See what the future may hold._

The room faded into white nothingness; even his followers were left behind. What was this? He tried to sense it and all he could tell was this was a vision. What the future could holdâ€¦

There was a temple much like this place, its pillars opening up at strategic angles to shine light upon the honored god. Humans were tending to him; their faces were bound with plain white masks and their bodies had red chains crossed over their chests. At Gozu-Tennoh's feet, there was a one human clothed entirely in white robes and red chains; her legs were crushed so completely that she was stuck there for life. The god contemplated an on-going war with a neighboring god, contentedly thinking over how to arrange the next battle in his favor.

A group of priests and prisoners came in; the priests only had a single red chain as a belt while the prisoners were bound so tight that they struggled to move. There was fear and awe in all humans here; it was a respect born of being able to do nothing against the one that ruled over them.

"O Exalted one, we have brought the ones wagered with in today's gladiator matches," one of the priests said with a practiced detachment. Another brought forward three of the prisoners. "These were those bound to the losers, to be offered to thee."

Gozu-Tennoh's eyes flared up like the fires around him. "You have chosen to align yourselves with the weak when you could not fight yourselves. Hmph, you are miserable beasts that do not belong in my kingdom of the strong. Your souls will be put to a better use."

The three didn't even try to run as bloody vines grew around them. They were terrified but had already given up on life. Arm-length thorns erupted out of the vines, piercing the sacrifices over their whole bodies. While their blood streamed down onto the floor, it took some time for them to die.

While that was happening, the priests brought forward the one to survive. "And this is the one bound to the winner. Although, the audience was not satisfied with the match. The one who lost to the winning gladiator was a favorite of theirs. The victory is being investigated."

"Is that so?" The air turned heavy with disapproval. "A victory attained with underhanded means is nothing to be proud of. Therefore, you as his wager are worth nothing. You will not ascend to those trained to fight for our glory. You will descend to the life of a slave; take him away to the auction house."

"As you ask, o exalted one," the lead priest said, giving a low bow.

"In our world, humans face ceaseless challenges to polish their souls," Gozu-Tennoh mused as Naoki's vision faded to white again. "Once you shine brilliantly enough to please me, you shall know the true glory that comes with fighting for victory. The Mantra Kingdom was the one that formulated our world. No matter how many rise to challenge us, and there will always be someone, we will be forever victorious. In this way, the world will forever thrive."

_This is the world that Mantra would build. Will you allow it?_

He didn't want to. Naoki's vision returned to the present; no one around him seemingly noticed that his mind hadn't been there. Immediately, his eyes were drawn to someone at the feet of Gozu-Tennoh: a manikin with broken legs, hidden within an overly-large white robe and red chains. She introduced the god to them with a dramatic proclamation, her voice bizarrely steady compared to the way her body quaked.

"Well met, champions of our arena," Gozu-Tennoh said proudly. "I offer you a gift in recognition of your intelligent use of power, a reflection of my own."

A red orb appeared in the air close to Naoki. A white form was curled up inside. Wait, wasn't that a magatama? He'd not sensed Murakumo in this area. Then again, Gozu-Tennoh's presence would dominate any place he existed. The magatama did not move while it was within the orb. If he could hold himself back, he should be aware for the whole conversation. "Thank you."

"Much more power could be yours should you choose to join us. My subordinates have located a few of these, but none could make use of them. I have been watching for the one who could, seeing great promise in their method of enhancement. It seems I was not wrong, given the human shell you began with. What do you say? Ally with me and any of my followers could be yours, along with what of these insects we have discovered."

That was tempting. Gozu-Tennoh probably realized that he already had Narukami, but Gaea was definitely in their possession. What others did they hold outside of their headquarters? However, Naoki didn't want to see that future vision come about. Even without that, the way they treated manikins was enough for him to distrust them. Did he have it in him to double-cross Mantra?

He didn't think so. "I want to ally with you for the moment, only for my own goals. I may not bother you afterward, but I will certainly not join you."

While the god's eyes flared up, the atmosphere didn't become oppressive. "Hmph, that's a pity. But I will respect such a bold sentiment. I heard what you wish out of us, to attack Nihilo's headquarters in Ginza." He laughed. "Of course, I would be glad to join another on such an enterprise. Nihilo says they want a world of pure serenity, but what they mean to do is erase all passions and render everyone equal cogs in a global machine that does nothing. It is far too absurd to allow to come about! I will gather my forces and send them through the Great Underpass. Once we emerge, we will swiftly break down their defenses and destroy them once and for all."

Through the underpass? The manikins there should be warned. Hopefully gathering all of the Mantra troops took enough time for his group to reach them. With the deal made, Naoki and his group left. The elevator seemed like the most suitable point to burst this bubble and ingest Murakumo. Since it was sluggish from being held captive, there was little disruption as it connected to the others. There was a moment where everything looked green and his head whirled in dizziness, but that cleared by the time they could exit the elevator.

His horn warned him of the presence of the Candelabrum of Knowledge again, now on the third floor. Whoever this was definitely didn't want to stay in one place. "I feel they're close," Naoki said.

"The outsider fiend?" Matador asked.

Naoki nodded, then felt a little twitch from Murakumo. That person was very close. Following his sense, Naoki looked up towards the high ceiling. There was a shadow that didn't seem right, not in this place of straight lines and rigid forms. After a second, he saw the form of a person up there, with a tattered red cloth drooping close to the wall. Glowing blue eyes met his.

The outsider fiend leaped down, sending a wave of dark energy at them. He barely looked human, being more like a crumbling blue corpse. While the frames of black wings were on his back, they were broken and useless. "I've been looking for you," he said, barely stopping as he went to slash at Naoki with large black claws.

Without thinking, Naoki readied an attack for the swift being. Murakumo seemed to have thickened his skin although the claws still cut through. His fist met with the outsider's skull savagely and it felt like the outsider couldn't take much more. Trying to protect him, Momunofu barged in before the outsider could strike again. Naoki decided to keep close to his follower, inside his spear's reach. Uzume backed off while Matador swung his cape to match the outsider's speed.

The outsider batted Momunofu's spear aside and nearly gave Naoki a good opening to punch through. He swept his hand in a peculiar fashion and then wasn't there physically. "What was that, just a hit and run?" Matador asked in disgust.

"No," Naoki said, pulling on Momunofu's arm. The outsider couldn't be seen, but Naoki could still sense him there. He emerged at full health as Momunofu was turning in response, tearing through the demon's armor. With both him and Momunofu resistant to physical attacks, it was clear that this outsider was far stronger than he appeared to be.

Matador stepped in to pierce the outsider through with his phantom sabers, knocking a large amount of energy out of him. The outsider then punched right through Matador's coat, tore half of it off, and used a spell like Life Drain. Will o'wisps sometimes had that, draining the health and magic of their target. While it seemed the same, it was able to destroy Matador and restore the outsider completely. He then disappeared again.

"Uzume, get over here!" Naoki called as he realized where the outsider was headed.

She obeyed immediately, but the stranger came out and tackled her into a pillar. Momunofu hurled his spear without being asked, piercing the outsider's meager body through. Before he could call the weapon back, the outsider tore it out of his own body. He did not bleed as his body disintegrated in that spot. He ripped Uzume's energy from her, destroying her as well.

Concerned that this would end up with a succession of deaths again, Naoki attempted Fire Breath as fire was supposed to be effective against undead. The outsider seemed to be that, given how strange his life energy felt. But for how strong he was, he was even more fragile than Matador. Just like his punch, the fire nearly took him out. All the outsider might need to do was vanish momentarily to recover entirely; he needed to be taken out in one blow, or something had to be done to disrupt his powers.

And then Momunofu was destroyed, taken out with his own spear. The weapon vanished as its owner did. Given that this might not be recoverable, Naoki went ahead and used Ice Breath to see how it did. No more effective than the others, just not enough to win. Then the outsider darted for him, and stopped with his claws an inch in front of Naoki's face. "That's it."

"You were just testing us?" Naoki asked, wary that it was a bluff. A blow now should take the outsider out, but he could be killed just as quickly.

The stranger dropped his hand to his side. "Isn't it all a test? Hmph, not just anyone can read my motions on the other side. There's potential but you're still green. You're held back by your humanity."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Demons wouldn't agree, so what about him?

"You might have a point," he admitted. "If you want to return your world to the way it was, I have no complaint against it. Even so, it might not be a bad idea to build the power you have now within the labyrinth. Your enemy to restoration won't be defeated easily. But if you become willing to take an even darker path, you had best know as much as you can about why it exists. I'm trying to find that out myself."

"I'd like to know, but anybody who can tell me anything can't be fully trusted," Naoki said.

"Don't forget that," he said with a nod. "I am Raziel, a wraith who devours souls. I've heard what the demons call you, but I'm curious, what did they call you as a human?"

"Kashima Naoki," he answered.

Raziel hesitated a moment. "That would be Naoki, correct? By what I observed of your city before Conception."

It was a more familiar usage than he'd usually take with someone he'd just met, but there was still a kinship in both of them being named fiends. "Yes, that works."

"Good, in case we meet again," he said, waving his arm again. He vanished from sight and soon was gone entirely from the building.

Well, now his followers were all knocked out. Naoki decided that he'd fetch Isamu, stop by the Fountain of Life on their way to the terminal, and then leave him there to figure out what he could more reasonably do.

* * *

The cell door clattered open again. Isamu looked up and was grateful to see Naoki. The pyro jack guard waved his lantern. "Come on out of there, he's come to take you back."

Isamu got back on his feet. His body felt heavy and stiff, leading him to balance against the wall to do that much. "Oh good, I wasn't sure if you'd come."

While Naoki didn't look happy, he didn't look loopy either. "I brought you in here, so I'm going to get you out. And could you revive your guardian please?"

"Do you think he'll really help?" Once he got to moving, he could keep a decent pace.

Naoki sighed quietly. "I have a limited amount of revival beads but the three who were with me are all dead again. The Mantra respect me now, but they'll still be eager for fights. And since Pascal is helping to keep you alive when you can't be revived, he should take priority."

"All right," Isamu said, not wanting to argue with him again. They were still friends, right? Naoki did help show him how the healing items worked. Pascal whimpered upon being brought back, his ears under the armor held down in penance. But he didn't say anything as they left.

As they walked back to the elevator, the Mantra demons kept their distance and watched. They were in awe of Naoki; Isamu was just incidental to them. What would it take for them to respect him too?

While his group was unconscious, Naoki sent them to the basement instead of the ground floor with the exits. "There's just one more thing to take care of," he said.

"What's that?"

"Can't say while we're here," he said quietly.

Down in the basement, they found another prison watched over by a nue on a raised dais. It told them not to do anything funny. Naoki didn't let it bother him and took a look around the prison. While there were a few demons like a succubus down here, it was mostly the odd manikins being held here. They looked like imitations of humans rather than actual humans, rather poor imitations at that.

At the end of one hall, there was a huge door with a bar of those chessboard squares across it. Naoki gripped the bar and tugged at it; the lines on his horn raced faster, gleaming for a moment. "I don't have the raw strength to just pull it open, but then neither should most of the Mantra," he said quietly.

"Not even the oni?" Isamu asked. When he shook his head, Isamu tried to find something about it himself. "Kinda useless to have a door most people can't use."

"Could be that it's a safe past here," he mused. "Not useful to most of them, or to those who wanted to know." Naoki tugged at the bar again, then touched a line between squares. "Unless there's actually a trick to it. You should know this kind of puzzle."

"Really?" He touched part of the bar and found that there was a hairline crack there. It could be one of those puzzle box type constructions. "Hmm, seems like one of those where you have to take the pieces out in the right order. How many pieces is it made of?"

Once Naoki told him how many pieces there were and what their shapes were, it wasn't hard to figure out. With the pieces taken out, the door no longer needed only strength to open. It didn't open to much, just a small room that might be useable as a safe. But there wasn't much in there.

"Aha, this is where they had Gaea," Naoki said, dropping down to pick up something off the floor. Isamu only got a glimpse of something white and squirming before he swallowed it.

"Ew, did you have to do that?" Isamu said, trying not to show just how much that grossed him out.

"Yes," he said. "I need a moment to adjust; can you put the puzzle door back in place?"

"Sure." He would prove they could be good friends still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here we see why I gave Naoki some psychic potential even though he is specifically (and suspiciously) noted as completely average: to show alternate futures without getting into a tangle of writing multiple endings. Some relate to the game's endings, while others like this one are 'what if' scenarios. There's so much interesting potential, even with the bad Demon ending, that I wanted to cover as much as I could.
> 
> And the outsider fiend is Raziel from the Legacy of Kain series. Dante is taken from a different series and doesn't act like a strong ally for Lucifer, so when I decided to replace him, I wanted someone who still had those two qualities. Raziel got manipulated into several tangled schemes in his own series, so it's natural for him to be suspicious of Lucifer even when he's not familiar with the mythology. As I said at the start, I've also wanted to use Raziel or the LoK series for fanfiction at some point. But that series is its own challenge to work out what goes on and write something from there.


	14. A Prophecy

What was really needed in a new world? Chiaki thought over it all as they kept walking through the sands. There was so much that she didn't like in the old world: the vast majority of her peers, restrictions that were given for no good reason, the injustices that came every day. While she worked hard and had all the right talents, people still denied her what she deserved. But what did it mean for a new world? She wanted the ability to get what she deserved and cast aside all that got in her way.

And she might just get that ability soon.

It took far too long wandering the desert to get here, but now they were approaching Asakusa's main gate. However, it was strangely silent. This place should be bustling and lively. But then most of those people were fools making more noise than they should. If no one else was here, didn't that technically mean she ruled here now? Being able to think like that gave her a thrill. Now if she could just back that claim up.

"There is an active cathedral here," Persephone said, pointing out a door with a glowing symbol.

"So we're not alone here," Chiaki said, a bit disappointed. "Well it's where we meant to go."

Inside, the building had a different air, cool and clean. The person inside was sitting on the steps leading up to three tall pillars, reading through a leather-bound tome. He looked over, not even closing his book. "Hello, what business have you here in the Cathedral of Shadows?"

"You're the guy who does fusion, right?" she asked. He nodded. "Will you fuse me with the demon here?"

The man shifted his dark glasses. "There could be a several issues with that. She's a servant of Kagutsuchi, so it must be within her duties."

"Her Reason has been named, so I will do as she wishes to continue protecting her," Persephone said.

"And does this Reason allow for such fusions?" he asked.

"I would think so," Chiaki said. "I'm advocating Yosuga, for a world of strength and beauty."

"That should work," he said, putting a hand on his book. "Do you have the backing of an approved summoner?"

"What do I need approval from someone else for?" Chiaki asked. How many barriers did she need to cut down for this?

"We decided to make that a requirement after some similar fusions caused some tragic events in the past," he said. "They were done recklessly and the hybrids lost control of themselves."

"Getting permission seems needlessly complicated when we both want it," she said. "But who can be approved in this world? There aren't many who aren't demons around."

"True, we have only three approved clients: the demon Baphomet, Hikawa of the Assembly of Nihilo, and Naoki the Demifiend. You'd need the agreement of one of them."

So it was a demon she'd never heard of, the nutcase who destroyed the world, or her friend who had changed so much. She wasn't sure if she could count on any of the three, but it was more likely Naoki would agree. "All right, was there any other restrictions?"

"No, that should be it."

That meant tracking Naoki down; maybe she'd have to figure out the terminals after all.

* * *

Kabukicho Prison was busy today. The nagas and oni here were complaining about missing an anticipated match at the headquarters. While Thor wasn't around because of said match, Mizuchi was worse to have immediately in charge. He had decided that the best way to amuse the restless bunch was to bring Futomimi out of his cell and torment him.

With his hands on his knees, Futomimi sat on the floor and tuned them out. He felt hazy with weakness and mostly numb to the new pain. They'd become bored before long. For now, they were jeering him with things that he wouldn't let himself hear. Thor had said not to kill him for the time being, so he could resist all he liked. If only they didn't have the other manikins watching; perhaps he could inspire them with his own strength.

The air turned nauseating; one of the onlookers must have suggested poison as a way to drag agony out of him. This would be tough. Closing his eyes, he tried to distance his mind from his body.

His awareness flipped around, putting the pains of his body beyond notice. All of his visions before were momentary glimpses of a few pieces in focus, dreams of potential. This was as clear as life, somewhere he was not.

Immediately, he recognized the uncertain demon of his earliest prophecies. He was trailed by four others... no, five. A demon bearing a red cape was watching over him as a spiritual being, not called to manifest. The other four were all with him: a momunofu that bore a different soul that his kin, a fairy-like shade of the goddess Uzume, a robotic dog that was silently pining for forgiveness, and a human boy with the potential for Creation.

"It's going to be an all-out war between the two groups. You really don't want to be involved."

The human hurried towards him. "Can't I do anything, Naoki? If there were more puzzles, I..."

So the uncertain one's name was Naoki. "I expect that out of Nihilo, but it's going to be deep in their base past the initial battle lines." That disappointed the human boy. "Like I suggested initially, try to contact Hijiri; he's investigating Hikawa and Nihilo as well. We've also got to be thinking ahead, about how to bring the old world back and end this mockery. I'm thinking of training myself so that whatever you and Chiaki come up with, I can fight back against whatever Hikawa summons to oppose us."

"Yeah, that's probably how we should do things," he said.

"Just don't get yourself in trouble, I have a lot on my hands," Naoki said, then entered the terminal room with two of the demons. The spirit followed as well.

And on the floor overhead, an ikusa had overheard the conversation. "Hmm, I thought he was going to take his slave somewhere else. But if he's just going to leave him here, then we don't have to lose such a valuable resource." The ikusa chuckled and went off to tell some friends about this. It was unfortunate, but would that human then come here? And lead Naoki to come after him?

However, the vision shifted him to another terminal room, the one in Asakusa. There was a human girl along with a demon girl. "Can you read this script?" the human asked.

"Of course," the demon said.

It made the human laugh. "I wonder if he ever thought to ask his dog to translate. Probably not. Can this tell us what Naoki's up to and where?"

Nodding, the demon girl moved the bottom ring, then examined the other two. "Hmm, it seems he has business in Ikebukuro and Ginza. There's going to be a huge conflict in the latter town soon, between the Assembly of Nihilo and the Mantra."

"Some group named Nihilo can't be up to any good. But who are the others?"

She turned another ring. "Mantra... is a group that has built up a kingdom of the strong within the Vortex World. They long to bring it into the world to be born."

Brushing her hand across a ring she wore, the human considered that. "They could make for good backers of Yosuga if they're willing to accept a queen over a king. And that does sound nice. Hmm, but is there any way to get to Ikebukuro now without using these? I will if we must, but I'd rather not."

After some searching, the demon came up with something. "There are transit tunnels still intact from here to Ikebukuru. The power has failed there, so much of it will be dark. But as a servant of Kagutsuchi, I can bring its light anywhere."

"Good, let's move on."

Then he was moved to a third terminal room. A man in a scaled brown suit examined the drum; symbols moved swiftly by his hand. "Two identical buildings separated by a collapsed highway," he thought aloud. "Both claimed by Nihilo, but only one is taking in magatsuhi. The area around that is left free for the residents of nearby Ginza, but the area around its quiet twin is kept under secure watch by Nihilo forces. And that area holds the inactive tower and a tunnel to the area with the Diet Building."

His inner thoughts continued on, strangely unheard by the individual. He was divided from a significant part of himself. _It's a clear set-up; there's been plenty of similar situations. The flow of magatsuhi is being directed to the apparently inactive facility. When that part does something, it's going to be big. Perhaps a grand scale weapon? But a person of Hikawa's caliber wouldn't stop there. This weapon or system, it can be abandoned and their base moved, if that's their base at all. See if there's anywhere else magatsuhi is being directed from this harvester._

While those thoughts were unheard, they still affected him. "It has to be the inactive portion, that's important somehow. I don't know... if this directed flow can be traced, it'd reveal more of their hand. But that active part definitely feels like a cover operation. Maybe I can tell better at Ginza itself."

_That's dangerous, but it should be a risk worth taking._

"Dangerous, but should be a risk worth taking," he murmured aloud.

And a fourth terminal room appeared. The rings spun in sync, then flashed bright to release Naoki and his followers there. Leaving immediately, they entered a space of concrete floors and rounded steel walls. Futomimi realized this was the sewer underpass between Ikebukuro and Ginza. They went to a collection of rooms and found some manikins there, putting together makeshift furnishings from metal and wood scraps.

"Oh, you're back," one of them said, wary but respectful. It was much less than the quaking fear that most of them had of the Mantra demons.

"The Mantra are going to come marching through here in a few hours," Naoki said. Trying not to alarm them more than necessary, he held a hand up. "They're not after you; they're after Nihilo. And I have a plan for this. Can you lift that giant gate in the center? If so, we can direct the path they'll need to take and hide all of you in a part they can't access easily."

"S-sure, we can shift all the gates from the control room here," one of the manikins there said.

"Um, why're you helping us?" another manikin said. "I mean, we're grateful, but, um, you're a demon too."

There was a twitch to Naoki's eye. He didn't consider himself fully demon? "Maybe," he said, putting that issue aside. "What matters more is that you all were kind to me when I had trouble passing through here. I'm repaying that favor now."

"Well that works, thank you." They started moving off to get others to help out.

Naoki glanced at the watery channel. "And if we had some paint that would stand out on the walls and floor, we could even outline the path for them. The other chambers are enough of a pain that I don't think they'd question if this one seemed simple."

That was occurring right now. Futomimi felt grateful too; those in hiding had done a great service to other manikins to get this demon to exchange favors already. With that, he knew it was more likely that Naoki would help them rather than destroy them.

And then he felt a shift that he knew instinctively was the vision moving into the future. This battle that the Mantra were marching out for, Nihilo expected it. The Mantra would destroy so much, including a token force of Nihilo demons, that they would declare their victory rashly. However, the leader of Nihilo was a human who could have been a devil in disguise. He would command the force of nightmares to overcome the headquarters of his invaders when they had returned to celebrate. The magatsuhi would flow out of that tower like a waterfall. Even the mighty Gozu-Tennoh would fall.

And the manikins in the Great Underpass would not be discovered thanks to the actions of Naoki.

With a rude blizzard, his visionary trip was over. Futomimi's body shivered as the water that soaked him tried to turn to ice. Mizuchi was wrapped around him, staring with unseen eyes. Around them, the oni and nagas teased the water snake. "How dare you fall asleep on us! You will not be able to imagine the suffering that will be given to you now!"

"The Mantra will fall," Futomimi declared calmly, causing a hush over the guards, visitors, and prisoners. "I have seen it just now. Your lives will flow upwards like a waterfall in a nightmare system designed by Nihilo. Gozu-Tennoh will crumble and there will be too few of you to regain strength. When the time of Creation is at hand, the Mantra will have no influence on the new world."

He blacked out shortly after, but he wasn't afraid.

* * *

"A prophecy has just been spoken."

Hikawa raised an eyebrow. Who would be a prophet in this world? Perhaps if certain demons had shown up... it might be worth it to try allying with one. They might see things Yuko couldn't. "Who gave this prophecy?"

As his system was getting close to completion, Yuko was now hanging upside down over the dais here. "A manikin named Futomimi; he is their leader."

One of them? "They're nothing more than clay and a cocktail of strong emotions. They shouldn't be capable of producing a prophet."

"He is named. He has a more coherent soul."

"Perhaps that could make the difference. Repeat his prophecy for me."

"The Mantra will fall. I have seen it just now. Your lives will flow upwards like a waterfall in a nightmare system designed by Nihilo. Gozu-Tennoh will crumble and there will be too few of you to regain strength. When the time of Creation is at hand, the Mantra will have no influence on the new world."

It made him smile at how accurate it was without making sense to those who heard it. A nightmare system, then? He'd not given it an official name, but it could scare whatever of the Mantra managed to survive. "It'd be nice to see that prophecy spread. The system is basically complete, so I can easily hold off on activation for a good moment. What are the Mantra up to now?"

"They are gathering their warriors for a surprise attack on the Ginza facility from the Underpass."

"Hmm." He rubbed his chin. That meant that the force could be slammed as they tried to exit the tunnel. Or even inside the warehouse; an explosion there would cause mass hysteria for humans trying the same tactic, perhaps the same for these demons. But then they'd come over the one bridge, or cross the river itself, to attack from a predictable direction. That facility was already a ruse, so they may as well take advantage of that.

"The Demifiend will be involved," Yuko said.

That caused him pause. "Then that theory came true. Interesting. Let me guess, it was that average student of yours?" It made sense, to tempt the one who got lost in a crowd with the power to stand far above the rest.

"Yes, it's Naoki."

"We should see if he's clever enough to reach the true core. I will be leaving now, there is much to do." He brought out his miniature Amala drum and transported himself to the Ginza base.

She'd found some of the information she'd been assigned to, such as how the sword of Masakado was under the care of the Cathedral of Shadows. She'd found other interesting tidbits, like one of the other children had attempted to fuse herself with a demon already. Since the idea amused him, Hikawa planned on sending a note to the ministers giving them the permission she sought. He wasn't about to babysit her, but seeing what came of that was too good to pass up.

Unfortunately, Yuko was not able to clear up the issue with the Divine Messenger. The riddle was still the same: there were two trumpeter angels roaming the Vortex World, chose the one of living revelations over deadly. It seemed that Kagutsuchi wanted to force them to take their time in its realm. If it wasn't for that riddle, Hikawa could have everything prepared to summon the road to Kagutsuchi within a few of its cycles.

At least there were plenty of things to entertain himself with in the meanwhile.

* * *

While he'd proposed the attack, Naoki didn't think it was wise to get in while the Mantra were fighting. He'd have to get by both Mantra and Nihilo demons in what was sure to be fierce battles. Once he made sure the Underpass manikins were securely hid, Naoki went to the terminal there. Lucifer's attendant had given him instructions on how to access the labyrinth to return the candelabrum. After setting it up for a transport, he held Sovereignty to the area with possible destinations. A red symbol appeared in a blank spot, glowing brighter than the rest.

Choosing that one brought them to another terminal room, identical to the one he'd left. Leaving let them into one of the strangest halls Naoki had ever seen. Red magatsuhi flowed through the black walls; all surfaces were curved and very organic. Wait, organic? It wasn't nearly as disgusting as that first passage, but it felt similar to his horn. If these were the depths of the Amala abyss, he could believe that it was alive.

"Isn't this in the Abyss?" Momunofu asked, looking into the walls himself.

"I thought it might be," Uzume said. "If those candelabrum belong to Lord Lucifer, then of course the place to return them would be his domain."

"Well if you wanted to avoid battles, this wouldn't be the place to do it," Momunofu said, although he had an eager smile saying this.

"It shouldn't be as chaotic as what's going to happen in Ginza," Naoki said. "We'll look around a little while, then get back near the end of that." Although he could only hope that his estimates were right.

The room past the hall looked starkly normal compared to the hallway. Rectangular in shape, it had wooden floors and peach-colored walls. A simple chandelier with six candles lit the room surprisingly well; he felt enchantments at work doing that. There were three chairs with simple cloth covers and metal backs; those were the only furnishings. In contrast, one of the walls was covered entirely by heavy red velvet curtains.

While there should be nothing but a wall behind the curtains if Naoki's senses were right, the edge of one was pulled aside as a woman walked in. She was the one who with Lucifer any time Naoki had been in here; the simple black dress and face veil wasn't an outfit he saw in everyday life. "Welcome, Demi," she said, giving him a small bow. "I see that you have already reclaimed one of the candelabrum."

"You're by yourself today?" he asked, since that was the most curious thing to him.

"My master will meet with you again if you make it to the bottom of this labyrinth," she said. "Until then, when you come across spaces like this, I am permitted to come up and speak with you. I can teach you things that you would have no way of learning for yourself."

These things could be half-truths or outright lies. But it shouldn't be a problem to listen and consider their tales against everything else. "All right. What do I call you?"

"My name is not important, but you may call me Yuriko if that makes you more comfortable," she said. "Go ahead and sit down with me. Today, I can tell you about the man who brought about this Vortex World, Hikawa."

That would be good to know if he encountered him. Yuriko took one of the chairs on the side. Momunofu gestured to Uzume; he seemed fine with standing nearby. Taking the seat on the other end of the grouping, Naoki wondered if this would pass enough time.

"First, you should know about a cult that operated in hiding on your old world," Yuriko said, making a book appear in her hand. It had a pentagram on the cover, reminding him of something he'd seen in the hospital. "The Cult of Gaea was devoted to finding enlightenment through the chaos of the world. By accepting all doctrines and studying them seriously, they sought the ultimate truth in the universe. This includes attaining knowledge from us demons and striving for a partnership. Nearly every summoner in your world had connections to Gaea as that is the main way they had to study and practice their arts.

"Yet within such an open-minded society, Hikawa was considered a heretic. Gaea would have been torn apart and hunted down by scientific rationalists if they operated openly; he wanted to use their knowledge to change the world. There were those who wanted to see him thrown out. However, he provided vast funds as a powerful businessman and helped to negotiate property deals to improve their hidden temples and academies. It made them hesitant on losing him.

"He used that reliance to search for documents within their Great Library to make his ambitions real. In his research, he stumbled across a small book that others had forgotten about: the Scriptures of Miroku. It had been written by an obscure prophet who had discovered the mechanisms of the Amala Universe and its system of world rebirth. The scriptures told of how Earth would die, leaving a shell of itself behind to create an egg for the next world's birth.

"Also within those passages were instructions on how to summon relics that recorded and displayed all the knowledge contained within the Amala Universe. Those are the Amala drums that you know as terminals. With those instructions, Hikawa was able to summon a drum into your mundane world. It confirmed all that he had read. Not only that, but the appearance of a drum within a world connects it to the Amala Network. It could be called an omen of what was to come.

"Hikawa then spent several years and a few billion dollars in order to trigger the Conception in a way that favored him. His fellow Gaeans discovered this obsession of his and tried to talk him out of it, to no avail. By the time they officially denounced him, an opposing cult known as the Church of the Messiah had been alerted to his deeds. The Mesian Templars organized a raid to stop him as well. Instead of being concerned about this, Hikawa turned his enemies against each other."

That part sounded familiar. "That's when they clashed at the construction site?"

Yuriko nodded. "Exactly that. But the bloodshed and strife was not enough for him: he released his own demons into the crowd to slay both sides equally. This gave him enough sacrifices to trigger the Conception event. While that last day you spent on Earth may have seemed peaceful, the truth is that the world was dying rapidly on a planetary scale. That battle was the last chance anyone had to stop this from happening."

"But even if it had and he died then, the scriptures were still there to be found again," Naoki said. If this story was true, then the origins of this went all the way back to whenever this Miroku decided to write down how the world would end. But who had told them?

"That's so," she admitted. "That should be enough for now. You can see how much preparation he made for this all; take care when you come up against him."

He'd already been sure that Hikawa wasn't someone to take lightly. But this put it into sharp perspective. He was a high school student and Hikawa had manipulated two cults at once. If Naoki could manage it, avoiding Hikawa for now seemed the best option.

"There is one more thing I should do at this time," Yuriko said. "Do you have the means to light the candelabrum?"

Well, there was Fire Breath. "Nothing practical."

"Give me your hand." Once he did, she placed both of her hands around his. "I pass onto you the spell Lightoma. It can bring light anywhere. While it seems a mundane utility, it can be an invaluable aide. The stand for the Candelabrum of Foundation is in the next room. You'll be free to travel through the First Kalpa then."

"I didn't want to spend too much time here," Naoki said.

"Don't worry about it; we can send you to the moment you intend to return, as long as it is after when you entered. I will be watching over you."

As he went to the next room, Naoki considered that it would make for a good place to train if he didn't have to care about time spent here. This room was the same as the hallway, a dome of black with red magatsuhi flowing through it. The pedestal was a strange thing, like art meant to be understood only by a select few. Even with his horn, it was hard to tell if it was petrified wood or wood-like stone. It might even be clay. The uncertainty annoyed the magatama; he felt compelled to touch it and confirm the material.

Naoki ignored the compulsion as best he could and set Foundation on the pedestal. Then Lightoma... it worked like the healing items. He created a glowing bubble on his palm, then crushed it. As a larger glowing orb left his hand to settle behind his head, the white candles came alive with golden white flames. A door to another passage lifted up with an unsettling organic sound.

Past that, their surroundings changed yet again. Naoki still felt how alive this place was, but it now looked like somewhere people might live. White marble and decadent furniture even made it look luxurious. But on second thought, maybe it wasn't somewhere humans would live. The tables, chairs, and vases were scattered about seemingly at random. There was an upside down table to his right and a loveseat facing the wall to his left; they were hardly the only unusable pieces around. Not only that, but the doors were all circular and corners jutted in and out everywhere.

"Is this what the Abyss usually looks like inside?" Naoki asked. What pictures he'd seen of it were abstract or symbolic renditions.

"It normally wouldn't be so white," Momunofu said, bothered by that for some reason.

Uzume nodded. "Other than that, yes, it's a place demons would live in together. Can't you see the chaos mocking order?"

"It's a thoughtless chaos, at least I think so," Naoki said.

Before he could decide on a direction to explore first, the door squelched behind him and made an irritating metallic ring. He turned and found that three red chains were now crossing the door. There was a sign on the wall by it: 'Until the second and third pedestals are located, there will be no escape from the First Kalpa. Use whatever means necessary to reach them. As always, new contracts are forbidden within the labyrinth.'

He hoped that the time spent here really didn't matter, or else he'd miss his chance to find Yuko.

* * *

Isamu was reading the Amala drum again. "Oh, that Hijiri is the author of that article Chiaki was into. But if I work with him, I'd be the assistant to the assistant. It might help, but that's even less important. If only I could use the Amala network itself as a real power..."

"Master?" Pascal crept around the drum, trying to get his attention. "There's an important place to the rituals of Creation that can only be reached through the network. It's the Amala Temple, and the key is within the network's passages."

"Well what good is a temple right now?" Isamu asked. "Unless Ms. Takao is there."

"I don't know," Pascal admitted. "But if you named your Reason, you will easily be able to locate its key. That key is sure to help you become a master of the Amala Network."

"That sounds cool," he said. Pascal wagged his tail briefly, but Isamu didn't smile or come over to pet him. It seemed like he was still mad. "A lot better than being somebody's assistant; a network master could make everyone else his assistants, right?" He chuckled, shifting a drum. "So I just need a named Reason to start looking? Why don't we just call it Restoration and be done with it? That's what Naoki was talking about."

As Pascal expected, the Amala drum did not react to that. "But that'd be his Reason, if he could form one. It's not your Reason."

"Can't I make it mine?" Isamu grumbled. Then it clicked. "If he could? Wasn't Naoki brought into this place with us?"

"Yes, but in being reborn with a demon's body, he can no longer form a true Reason," Pascal said.

"Well that's one thing I have over him, I guess." Isamu scratched his head. "I could still go with it, if it's better than nothing."

"No, you need to do this ritual properly and start by agreeing to play by Kagutsuchi's rules," he said. As much as he wanted to please this master, he was strictly forbidden from disobeying his true master.

"Some of those rules sound dumb," he said. "And this isn't getting me anywhere with doing something helpful. Go watch the door and make sure no one interrupts me."

Pascal whimpered at that, but it did not sway Isamu. Still, that was an order and protecting his master was something that had to be done. He sat by the door and watched with an ear towards Isamu. Maybe he would need something, maybe Pascal could still prove himself to be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'll go ahead and say that this Yuriko is not the usual SMT Yuriko. Her name really doesn't matter.


	15. First Kalpa - By Any Means Necessary

The furniture was moving. As he looked around again, he sensed that small poltergeists had emerged. That made some sense of the nonsensical furniture placement. The magatama were again telling him not to worry and press forward to solve this kalpa's riddle. This time, they were sensible about it. "The sign says we need to find the pedestals, so let's go find them," Naoki said.

"I found a key!" one of the poltergeists shouted excitedly.

"Hey, lemme see that," another asked, dropping the vase it was holding and ignoring that it smashed all over the floor.

"Nooo, mine!" The two poltergeists fled the room, a few others following.

Since he had bare feet, Naoki chose to take the opposite passage first. A door on one side opened up to let three human ghosts through. One of them was far ahead of the others and passed through him with a damp cold feeling, a fruity taste of hope. "Oh sorry," the ghost said, pausing long enough to bow.

"Is the door out over here?" another ghost asked to him while the other ran ahead. "We finally got a reasonable amount of light here, so we came to find it."

"No, it sealed itself shut when we came in," Naoki said.

"Really?" the third ghost asked. "That's a pain. The only other way out is on the third level below, and that's locked tight with three keys."

"The poltergeists ran off with one just now," he realized. So he'd have to find them, at least the one who had the key.

"Well the one key holder I know of is a jerk who says he'll sell it, but then he takes your money and flees," the ghost said.

"The one I know of is obstinate, saying that the key must go to one specific person," the other ghost said. "But I don't think that person is even here. There may be no way to get that key from him honestly."

"Hey, who sealed this door?" the third ghost shouted in the entrance area.

"Maybe there's a third way we haven't found yet? The lights only just returned." The two of them passed by Naoki's group to get their friend.

"Do we really have to key hunt?" Momunofu asked. "We might as well beat up any of those key holders to get them."

"Let's try talking first," Naoki said, touching the round door frame that the ghosts had passed through.

A blue-winged tengu as tall as he was dropped down as the door was opening again. "You will not pass!" the karasu tengu claimed.

But talking did no good with the karasu and they had to win a fight against him to pass. It was easier than the Mantra trial fights. Did he have to give up on negotiations totally here? Every one of the many doors were guarded by various demons that demanded a battle from them. They even got ambushed in the middle of halls or the larger rooms.

Reaching the third floor was simple enough, just two ornate ladders down. While his horn couldn't sense as far into the labyrinth's passages, Naoki could tell there were a number of other ladders between levels. They were able to locate the next two pedestals by seeing them past a magical barrier. Unfortunately, the only way past the barrier was a hallway of three locked doors in a row and just seeing them didn't change the Kalpa at all.

Thinking that it wouldn't hurt to check the entrance area again, Naoki led his two demons back upstairs through a different route. There was a human ghost at the top of one of the ladders; he was made of a reddish-purple smoke rather than the blue or orange Naoki had seen before. "Oh hey buddy, are you searching for the keys to the exit below?" the ghost asked, putting on a ghostly top hat. "I can tell you the location of one of the keys, for a small fee. What do you say? 999 macca? It's a bargain considering it will allow you to solve this kalpa easier."

"Is it the one that was in a vase in the entrance room?" Naoki asked.

The shady ghost got flustered with disappointment. "Ah, ha ha, so you already found that one? Well, ah," he clicked his tongue, "do you know anything about the other two?"

"I heard that you were cheating other ghosts out of their money about the keys," he said.

"Well I told them good information, it's just they failed to utilize it." The ghost shifted his hat. "You still don't believe me?"

Naoki shook his head.

He held his hands up. "Okay, okay, I admit, key information was a novelty sales for me. Just trying new things out; I don't mind staying here, but others want to leave. My main business is the sales of spells. As a demon, have you felt restricted by your natural move set?"

"No," Naoki said, although there was how Momunofu didn't inherit Hua Po's Agi spells. His own magatama kept a lot of spells for him. No matter what group of demons he ended up with, he felt like he could fill in any tactical gaps by shifting around what skills of his were active.

"Demi's a special demon," Uzume said.

The shady ghost nearly faltered, but rallied back up quickly. "Ah, I see, I see. Well, I'm sure I have something you'd find handy in my inventory. Like a spell that will brighten your way and keep you from getting lost."

"I used Lightoma to get in here," Naoki said; the light orb had popped at some point, so it was no longer following him. Even without it, he was fairly sure that he could navigate a dark passage with the way his horn sensed structures.

"Ooooh, well then, have you ever really been in a mood for a fight but nobody's around? Or maybe you just want to get somewhere without being challenged every few steps. There's spells that can help you with that, a wonderful pairing that have complementary compatibility."

"No, we'll just be on our way," he said, starting to head for the door of his small room. Although the latter spell of the pair had an obvious benefit, he didn't feel like haggling with someone with a reputation as a cheat.

But the shady ghost was oddly desperate for the sale. "No, no, I give you my word as an honest salesman that my spell sales are not simply information you could get from any gossip! They're the real deal." When Naoki put his hand on the door to open it, the shady ghost took his other hand. "Here, we'll make a special deal this time only. I'll give you Riberama right now for free, absolutely nothing! It's the attraction enchantment, and if you want the companion spell Estoma to dissuade fights, I'll give you a very special pricing on it."

"Twice as much to cover the costs of both spells?" Naoki asked, feeling his magatamas shifting. They comprehended the spell, but it felt like there wasn't going to be a way for him to learn it or Estoma from the others.

"Uh, no," he said reluctantly. "I, I'll only increase the base price a bit. 2100 macca?"

That could be a decent deal, we think. Remember, Light Balls that cast Lightoma were 600 macca in the underpass junk shop. For a utility spell, that much seems fair.

The magatama didn't seem sure, but they were in favor of the purchase. To Naoki, getting both Riberama and Estoma for that price could work out. That little macca should be easily replaced with smart use of the attraction spell. "Fine. Momunofu?" His demon saluted him. "If this guy runs before he gives me the Estoma spell, feel free to skewer him."

"Yes sir," Momunofu said, getting his spear ready.

"Well now, run into another salesman of the Abyss already?" the shady ghost said. "Fine, it's a deal."

Naoki nodded and paid him the price asked for. Under the strict watch of Momunofu, the salesman then taught him Estoma in the same manner. He even passed over a heavy black key. "What's this for?"

"The keys are to be obtained by any means possible, and being a hard sale suits me just fine," he said. Then he sighed, slowly drifting towards the ladder. "Or by accident, I suppose that qualifies as 'any means' as well. Man, I hope I didn't just lose too much face with the association."

"I think he gave up too easily," Momunofu said once the ghost was out of the room.

"Well we've got the key," Naoki said. "If it doesn't work on any of those three doors, we'll know for sure it was too easy."

Just outside of that door, he noticed a healing bead in a vase nearby. That was one good thing about this place: there were small treasures like that everywhere. But there were also many more demons who wanted a fight. Sometimes he'd be focused on one battle and another demon would try to sneak in for an instant ambush. Some had a habit of dropping out of the ceiling even though there didn't appear to be any holes in it until they jumped through. But the further they got from the main hub of the kalpa, the fewer battles they had.

They ran across the poltergeists in a large hallway, playing with more furniture. There was a lot of broken shards all over the floor; he'd have to be careful. Keeping close to the wall, Naoki headed for a poltergeist that was focused on moving any little thing it could find onto one table. There was no key there, at least not an obvious one.

"Wait wait, I'm not ready!" the poltergeist said, waving a tubby arm and trying not to drop a chess rook.

"I'm just looking for the key to the kalpa's exit," Naoki said.

"I don't have any keys," the poltergeist said in a way that reminded him of a pouting child. "Those two have been fighting over it, but I'm the one that's gonna open up a shop! I outta have it."

"I found the key, I should have it!" another poltergeist said angrily. It threw the chair it had at another, only managing to break the chair's legs.

"I'm the strongest, I should have it!" it said, smug over dodging the chair. It did have a black key hanging on one arm, like the one from the shady ghost.

If he thinks he's the strongest here, he's sadly mistaken. Here, we've been waiting for a good time to upgrade your spells. Try one out!

There was a twitch in Naoki's skull, making him grimace. Now he had Tornado and Shock available, along with his own Way Cry, Taunt, a physical skill in Heat Wave, and some others. Then there was another twitch as the magatama argued over which attack spell would work better. "Stop arguing and state one," he mumbled.

One of his demons asked, "What's that?" But Naoki was too distracted by the dissent. He had nine magatama and... three wanted Shock, six wanted Tornado. Outside his head, the poltergeists were arguing amongst themselves. He really should be tolerant and ignore such small annoyances. But they were annoyances and these poltergeists were nothing but low tier pests that posed no threat to him. Before his thoughts could turn back towards his human side, Naoki cast Tornado into the hall.

Zan would cast a little whirlwind around one enemy to attack. Tornado threw out five cyclones to fill the hallway. As the spell picked up all the shards, broken furniture, whole furniture, and the poltergeists, Momunofu quickly pulled Naoki and Uzume close to him to shield them as best he could. The poltergeists shrieked just like children; Naoki grimaced at that. Then a bit of pottery hit his horn. While it didn't damage him, he felt further rattled.

Just as he went to grip tighter on Momunofu's arm, the armored demon vanished into a glow of magatsuhi. Would he...? Yes, Naoki instantly recognized his new form as Arahabaki. As long as he and Uzume stayed downwind, all the flying debris in the hall pelted the larger demon's clay body to no effect. When the Tornado finally died off, the black iron key clattered onto the floor in front of them. There was no sign of the poltergeists, nor any recognizable furniture in the scattered debris.

That had been awesome power that others could fear. That had been a terrifying mess, way too powerful for all the potential shrapnel that had been in here. If it hadn't been for Momunofu's change, they could have been badly damaged by his own spell. It was incidental, probably from being unused to this level of power. If he could just let go... if he could just think more rationally...

For a moment, Naoki hated both sides of himself.

Damn it, quit fighting yourself! We're trying to bridge the divide of human and demon, but it isn't going to work if you keep acting like this. If you just stop worrying and use both sides together, you'll find things to be so much better. The whole point of this Kalpa was to get those keys by any means necessary, remember? But watch the impulsive attacks and try to find more clever ways about the third key. Now take our wrath as punishment and work with us to complete your new self.

His chest seized up. For a moment, he wondered if he'd stopped breathing. "Naoki?" Arahabaki asked in concern. His voice was even deeper, enough to make Naoki's bones throb from being so close to him.

Uzume took his other arm. "Ouch, that's some heavy curse on you. But it's strange, the poltergeists shouldn't be capable of this."

When he looked to her, his vision briefly doubled. She's been a faithful friend. She's been good, but one shouldn't be too attached to followers. Oh, they'd given both of his voices equal weight in his mind instead of full Kagutsuchi being the only time his demon side had any real influence over his actions and thoughts. This would be bad; this would suck.

"Th-th-th..." and there were those mind twinges, fleeting impulses adding to the chaos. Naoki put his hand back near his horn and licked his lips, but neither helped this time.

"The magatama?" Uzume guessed.

Naoki nodded as it was easier than speaking.

"Don't see why you would've made them mad, because that was awesome," Arahabaki said. "Maybe I should've gone down a magic line too, but this seems fun." His defenses were certainly going to help, although they'd have to be careful with his severe weaknesses.

"One of the ghosts mentioned a healer being around, so we should try to find that person," Uzume said, going to pick up the key for him. "But, this hall is going to really hurt trying to walk through. It's not so good when you're like this."

While that was a concern, Arahabaki chuckled. "Why don't you both get up on my shoulders? I'm sure I can carry you both across without harm. This stuff should be nothing to me now."

Uzume laughed. "Ah, you keep getting easier to get along with as you change, thank you."

"Well who's going to deny my awesomeness now?" he asked. By then, Naoki got enough of a hold on himself to take Arahabaki's shoulder and climb up there. Uzume nimbly got on the other shoulder and they got out of the littered hallway without trouble.

Being cursed meant that he got easily disoriented. The layout in his head and the layout of the floors didn't seem to match up. "S-sorry," Naoki mumbled when he lost himself again and ended up punching Arahabaki.

He wasn't bothered, even laughing. "Hah, it tickles, it's so great! Just stay away from Uzume."

"I know," Naoki said, trying to recall which doors and ladders they'd already tried in this area.

"I hope we can find the healer soon," Uzume said. She'd been keeping to the other side of Arahabaki during battles now. "This is making things far too difficult."

After a moment, he gave up trying to figure it out himself. "Are we on the third floor?"

"No, it's the second," she said.

"Okay, okay." Knowing that made it easier to compare his sensory map to his visual range. Although once he pinned down two doors they hadn't passed through, it started slipping from him again. He pointed out the nearer of the doors and headed there.

As he'd thought, it was another small enclosed room. Even in his cursed state, he recognized the ghost inside as the doctor he'd met in this place before; it was hard not to recall that syringe. "Hello again," he said. "It's only natural for the strong to thrive and the weak to perish. If you've come to defy nature by seeking treatment, I'll have to charge you this time."

"Can you do anything about his curse?" Uzume asked as Naoki was caught in a momentary conflict that it made sense and was horribly apathetic.

"Hmm?" The doctor came closer to him, putting his free hand on Naoki's forehead. "Ah, well no. It's the magatama's curse and unless my master says otherwise, I'm not allowed to remove it. He'd have to appease the magatama himself, or find an unaffiliated healer that cares for all. But since you are cursed, I'll reduce my usual fee for its duration."

It wasn't much help because now he had to get out of the labyrinth to undo the curse for certain, but Naoki went ahead and paid for the treatment for all of them. That at least made Uzume less tired from the spell casting they'd been doing. Back outside the room, he tried to figure out where to go next. Thinking that they should clear this as soon as possible, Naoki tried his new spell to clear their path outside of the doctor's room.

"Um, did you mean to cast Estoma instead?" Uzume asked, moving back towards the wall.

His heart thumped as he realized that mistake. After he nodded, two karasu tengu were the first to show up. Many more demons showed up soon after, eager at a call to battle. Before long, Naoki's mind went into a total white haze. This wasn't rage; it was something far milder, a taste of rice that brought out qualities one would miss if it wasn't on its own. There were two that he wasn't to attack, but everyone else was fair game. Flowing from blow to blow, sometimes using a spell if the crowd got too thick; there was something peaceful to this, detached from everything but his immediate senses.

If he could call on this state and maintain it when needed, he really wouldn't need to worry, wouldn't need to fear anything.

When the haze lifted, his body seemed terribly heavy. Blood was smeared on his left arm and parts of his chest, his own from the smell of it. And he was still cursed. Something felt new, though: a large increase of magatsuhi that he'd taken from those he'd defeated. It must not have been noticeable before, either because it was in smaller amounts or he was distracted with other things. But having fought so many... how many had he defeated? His body had yet to convert it all to his own.

It was so much power that he felt giddy at realizing that it would soon all be his own. Some of it was even going towards countering the magatama's curse, so it didn't afflict him as badly. No wonder demons liked fighting so much, it was the way they had to grow and potentially change. It wasn't human to feel this way, he knew, but maybe this existence wasn't so bad. He just had to be responsible with it... no, loosen his control even more. Was sleeping going to help or was it a bad idea like this?

He heard giggling behind him; there were three demons back there. Despite his haze, he'd been able to not hurt his allies this time. The third was Kinshin Sarutahiko... oh, that explained things. Naoki turned to them and started to walk over. He soon had to adapt to a slower pace to keep from tripping up.

"Are you back to your senses now?" Arahabaki asked, getting the other two to notice.

"Mostly," Naoki said. "What happened?"

The shade of Sarutahiko sounded impressed as he said, "You were a damn war god out there, knocking everyone aside like they were nothing. Towards the end of it, some of them started fleeing as they realized what they were up against. However," he raised his sword at him, "I still challenge you for the loyalty of Lady Uzume!"

"She's a megami," Naoki said, not wanting to deal with this. Maybe he had fought off an impressive amount of demons, but now that he was out of that battle haze, he'd rather go take a nap even if it might be ill-advised with the curse.

"Err," he was at a loss on getting that for a response.

"Sorry, but I would like to keep hanging out with these two," Uzume said to him. "It's nice to see you and it'd be fun to be with you, but," she seemed uncharacteristically unsure of herself.

"We still have a contract," Naoki said to her. His two minds came close to the same idea, so it should work.

"Yes," she said, putting a hand to her cheek.

"And that's why I challenge you!" Sarutahiko said, trying to threaten with his sword again. But there was a tinge of cautious fear in that; he would recall more of that lengthy battle.

"New contracts can't be made within the kalpas, it said so on the sign," Naoki said. Sarutahiko nodded to that, still trying to provoke him. "And that goes for you two should she break with me. But informal agreements should be fine, right?"

"Informal?" he asked, confused now.

Naoki nodded. Now that he was close, he pushed the sword to the side. "I can't make a contract with you here, so I can't give you orders. So you're free to follow us if you like. I can't stop you from that, nor from following us through the terminal outside of the Amala labyrinth. If you happen to do that, and once I get this curse lifted, we can discuss if you want to join us with a contract to me there. In case that happens, I won't fight you in this place."

Uzume laughed at that. "See? That's one reason why I stick around him."

"Yeah, I guess there is nothing stopping me from doing that," Sarutahiko said with a grin. "All right, I'll stay my sword for now as well. I think what survivors are around are going to be too terrified of you to challenge you either."

"Good, I want to find that last key and get out of here," Naoki said.

"We already have that," Arahabaki said, making the third black iron key materialize between them. "One girl started to flee, mumbling that she needed to find somebody to give the key to. I smacked her for it when she refused initially."

Taking it, Naoki said, "Thanks. So what did happen with him?"

"Well I spotted her in the rioting crowd and just knew that I had to fall back and protect her," Sarutahiko said.

"He was one of the guys that she charmed into adding to the chaos and then they started flirting." Arahabaki sighed. "Even if this is informal, you might regret it from how sickeningly sweet they are."

"You're just jealous," Uzume said, beaming with happiness.

After paying the doctor to treat their wounds again, Naoki tried to lead his group down to the third floor. Their tag-along knew the First Kalpa well, so Sarutahiko eventually corrected their route and led them back to the locked doors. Naoki felt demons that were still lurking around, but they didn't try to approach now. Since he had gotten stronger (and wealthier) out of that, the accidental Riberama didn't seem so bad.

And thankfully, the three black iron keys worked to unlock the exit.

* * *

Being a shade of someone greater wasn't something Sarutahiko had thought about. He knew he was an imitation, but it never seemed to matter. All it did was give him an instant mastery of combat and tactics, right? But then he'd never considered he could run into a shade of Uzume and seeing her for the first time was like finally seeing the sun!

Funny thing was, he wasn't the only shade of this god in the First Kalpa. There had been two others; the three of them had a friendly rivalry, chasing each other through the darkened halls for duels and races. They'd all challenged the Demifiend as he was passing through, reforming themselves as soon as they could to try again. After all, that fit what their purpose was. They'd all showed up to the call of Riberama, and they'd all got hit by Uzume's charm spell.

But when it wore off, the other two shades were hateful to her about it. They'd actually tried to kill her, and he had killed them in her defense. It wasn't because of the charm, though. Actually, it had worn off in him quicker. Sarutahiko had been a bit angry; status ailments were a pain, especially in a big brawl. But he'd looked at her again and didn't want anything to harm her. So he'd protected her even from his kin.

He really shouldn't be doing this. The Demifiend had completed the First Kalpa, so Sarutahiko's purpose should be fulfilled. At this point, he could accept a rebirth to a lower Kalpa. He knew his kin would be doing that. Or he could hang around the First Kalpa in case it got revisited. He really should not be doing this, even if it was informal as he put it. It was still done with the intent of making a formal contract.

To make matters worse, the servant who was close to Lucifer was waiting near the terminal room after they'd teleported up to the entrance hall. Sarutahiko knew he could slip back now. He could choose the rebirth, avoiding this problem later on. But he wanted to be with Uzume, even if it meant defying the purpose he'd been created for. At least it was just the servant up here; she had no combat capabilities, only a few utility spells. Sarutahiko should be able to get by her.

"Congratulations on completing the First Kalpa," the servant said, bowing to Demifiend. "Especially in being cursed for the later part of it. Fighting under such adversity is admirable."

Demifiend actually seemed embarrassed about that. Or maybe he was tired, it could be how humans were. "I didn't expect to get locked in. Would you send us to Shibuya shortly after we left the Underpass?"

She nodded. "As you wish, I'll arrange for that."

Well now... it would be hard to sneak after them into the terminal room, but Sarutahiko was pretty sure that he could get to Shibuya as well. The question would be if he'd show up at a reasonable time. The servant would go back to Lucifer's side once she was done. Right?

No, she came out of the terminal room and looked right to him. "Do you really mean to go through with this?"

"Yeah, a man's gotta follow his heart," Sarutahiko said.

She actually smiled at that. Then the very air around them changed. While he was looking at that powerless female servant, he was now speaking directly to Lucifer. "Yes, that's one way to put it. If that's what you truly want, I won't stop you. But you must not forget the terms of your service. You are not to speak of things you know as a demon of this labyrinth to him."

"Sure, I'll keep quiet on that," he said. Especially with Uzume, since she seemed to be an adviser that Demifiend listened to.

The servant nodded. "Good. It seems he has learned his lesson; serve him well."

"Of course," Sarutahiko said.

And then the servant vanished; she should not be capable of that herself. For a moment, he couldn't believe he really was free to go. He did have to keep quiet about some things, but it shouldn't matter. Happy with that, Sarutahiko went to the terminal to follow the others to Shibuya. Lucifer's power intervened again.

But it was nothing to worry about as he arrived to find his Uzume waiting on him. "Good, you did come," she said in delight, taking his arm. "I was worried for a bit that you couldn't leave the labyrinth."

Unable to resist, he smiled at her. "It was no trouble at all. I hope you weren't waiting on your own for long."

"No, they just headed out to get to the healer," she said. "Unless that curse takes time to lift, we should meet them as they come out."

They didn't have to wait even a minute out in the underground mall before Demifiend and Arahabaki came out of the Fountain of Life. The former smiled on seeing him while the latter dimmed his glowing eyes. "Oh goody, the sappiness is going to continue," Arahabaki said sarcastically.

"You're just going to have to live with it," Uzume teased.

"I hope you don't get in trouble for leaving," Demifiend said, which was more thoughtful of a potential follower than he'd expected out of a fiend.

Sarutahiko shrugged. "Technically I did leave my post, but you completed the First Kalpa. It shouldn't be a major issue. Let's just get down to it, all right? I'm Sarutahiko of the Kinshin clan, my sword is yours now." He even offered a hand for this one.

He accepted the handshake for this. "I'm Demi of the Fiends, I'm grateful for your service."

* * *

That Kinshin's silence can only last so long. I'm not worried about that. For one thing, this potential heir of mine has been picking up on things quickly. He's already fitting the pieces together himself, so confirmation of his theories shouldn't affect much. Come to think of it, I may have made this one too sensitive. None of his failed predecessors figured out who I was almost immediately.

He's always been willing to use trickery, but felt guilty for taking advantage of another. Even of that angel who would have murdered him again otherwise. He's getting past that slowly. At least that fit from the magatama has made him more accepting of battles, and closer to accepting them. The fiends in the Ikebukuro area mean to help with that, but the Riders really need to be on guard for those encounters.

Ah, Naoki, you're keeping me in such suspense. You could still go either way, following me or following your strong desire to restore the world you once knew, and I don't know which is more likely at this time. You're definitely not boring me. Keep going like this and I might not even care if you chase after your small-minded dream.

I'll be watching you.

* * *

Clouds of dust appear around the bridge without there being a strong enough wind to kick up that much. A group of demons gathered outside the Nihilo base. Not that long ago, they received a message directly from Commander Hikawa. The odd sign proved it right: a large force from the Mantra was coming to attack. Those who had been directed out here were to fend them off, keeping them from reaching the true core of this place.

Glancing at each other, something became apparent to them. There were not nearly enough of them to properly counter the brutal troops marching off the bridge. They could slow them down if they fought with all their wits. However, they were simply a token force. Sacrifices. Hikawa did not expect them to win; he expected them to make the Mantra think they won.

But then... Shijima would be a world of serenity where differences that caused conflict would be erased. Everyone was equal under Shijima: demons, angels, humans, gods. That's right, they would be like gods. No one would deny their existence. They would be acknowledged and accepted, not ignored and hated. And anyone who became a martyr for a Reason in the Vortex World was guaranteed to be reborn in the new world if their Reason won.

Hikawa would surely win, so dying here would be an honor.


	16. Boring Cubes and Circles

The first thing Naoki sensed on entering the Nihilo base was that it was full of mathematical order. It was far from the busy store it had once been. With anything organic stripped away, it was so exact with its dimensions, surfaces, light, and air that it seemed alien. It would have been perfect by numbers if not for the Mantra invasion. The walls were cracked and still being defaced while a shaft like the Amala drums was barely keeping aloft, all askew of each other.

Sensing one of the oni approach, Naoki licked his lips and opened his eyes. The red-skinned oni held a nail-studded bat over his shoulder. "Hey you! What held you up? We've already won!"

Nodding, he answered, "I knew you could, so I went and took a nap. Though it's too bad that I don't get to challenge what strong ones they have remaining."

The oni laughed at that. "Man, you're crazy! Sorry, we hammered everybody here. The wimps were no trouble at all."

Naoki doubted that. "What about their Commander and the Maiden?"

"Well I haven't seen 'em," the oni admitted. "The little rats probably scurried away, But don't you worry. The moment they poke their heads out, we'll smash 'em back down again. I was heading off to the town to see if any of them fled there."

"Go for it," Naoki said. Once the oni was gone, he said to his followers, "Unless I slept longer than I thought, it can't be that easy."

"Nihilo's members are supposed to be the clever ones, so I agree," Uzume said.

"There's nothing on this level, let's get to the elevator," he said.

Arahabaki came in use there, convincing a pair of Momunofu from Mantra to let them by without a fight. Far beneath the surface (or was this above?), they came to a far more interesting space. A geodesic dome was set in the center of a huge spherical room. Strands of magatsuhi still flowed down the central shaft in spite of the damage that had been taken. Off to one side, there was a door leading to a strange rotating hall; it made his senses dizzy trying to figure it out, so Naoki ignored it for the moment.

A larger group of Mantra demons were down here, bellowing in a victory rite. The echoes of their voices filled the chamber, much to their delight. Although, that made it hard to speak with an ikusa closer to the elevator. "What is this place?" Naoki asked.

Tilting his head and making his huge conical hat shift, the ikusa said, "Well it's a powerful engine of some kind. I dunno, do I look like a gearhead? Anyhow, it was pulling a huge swell of magatsuhi in here, so we wrecked it up good."

"Then they're not getting any more energy to this place," he said. But given how strong the flow had been into their building, there should be a sea of magatsuhi within this chamber, not a weak trickle.

"Hah, right! They'll get no more magatsuhi, so they'll crumple like paper now." He hit his tall spear on the floor, making echoes with that. "We won, so who cares what this place was?"

"What did you do with the magatsuhi that was here?" Naoki asked.

"Uh, what're you saying?" the ikusa asked, tilting his hat the other way. "It all broke up when we smashed the core, so we each grabbed some that hadn't already floated off."

That didn't account for the discrepancy. "I see. What about that door over there, where does it go?"

"I dunno," the ikusa said, not caring about it. "It's some kinda goofy mechanism, I think. Nobody could walk through there."

"I'd like to look into it," he said. Going into the core area might reveal a mechanism to it if it wasn't by the door itself.

"Well knock yourself out, cause I don't care. Nobody could've escaped that way, and we won spectacularly. We're gonna head back once we sweep around for any hiding rats; don't miss out on our celebration, we know how to party right!"

As it was too loud with the other demons bellowing, his demons didn't say anything until closer to the mystery door where it was a little quieter. "What is behind this door?" Arahabaki asked.

"A rotating hallway, it would be a pain to look at," Naoki said, checking for a panel or wiring to a control center. There was a wireless receiver in the frame, leaving no clear way to affect the hall's mechanisms. "Or cross, but a small flying demon could easily pass through."

"It's too bad that we missed most of the action," Sarutahiko said, keeping his sword at his side.

"I have a hunch that it was a farce and we'll find more past this," he said. "There might be something in the central room; there's definitely an active Amala drum in there."

While the ikusa claimed that they'd smashed the core, the structure inside the dome was intact. The drums were out of alignment, but they continued to rotate and glow. There were spiral traces through the air, like water stains left by a dried up stream. While there was no control panel like he'd been hoping for, there might be some command on the drums to stop the rotating hall. Except, Naoki didn't know how to read the drums himself.

There was someone here, someone he knew could read them. "Oh, it's you," Hijiri said, relieved but still tense. "You nearly gave me a heart attack there, what with all the bellowing going on."

"I don't think they'll follow me, not yet anyhow," Naoki said, feeling glad that he had come in time to intercept him. Hijiri would be in trouble if the Mantra caught him on their final sweeps of the base.

"Are you allied with the Mantra then?" He seemed like he wanted to trust him, but was wary. It was a reasonable question.

"No, it's just a temporary agreement so I could get in here," he said.

That was enough to get Hijiri to relax. "Good, I'd seen some rumors; looks like they weren't true." He looked up at the column of drums. "It seems like they really wrecked this place."

"It's much worse on upper levels, some of these got knocked completely out of place. They seem to think it was good enough to declare a victory."

"What do you think of that?" he asked.

Naoki shook his head. "I think they did little more than wreck the entryway. This isn't working now, but there should be a lot more magatsuhi still here."

"That's an apt way to put it," Hijiri said, spinning his hat in his hands. "I can see why they'd think they'd won. This place is so grand, and every detail speaks of Nihilo's philosophy. Seeing that, anyone would think this was their headquarters. But this building only comprises half of this facility's total structure. When you look at its whole, it's clear that this could not be their main base."

"What do you think it is?" he asked.

"During the rituals of Creation, the bearers of Reason need to gather large quantities of magatsuhi. Remember when I taught you about the need for magatsuhi among demon summoners?"

Naoki nodded. "It's given in exchange for the demon's services."

"But it's not necessary in a world like this," Hijiri said, starting to walk over to them now. "What magatsuhi is required for here is to summon a god. The god acts like an investor into a new business. They grant an immense amount of power to the Reason bearer so that the human can use the power of Creation without destroying themselves. In exchange, the god has a greater influence over the world's next life."

Like his vision of Gozu-Tennoh's potential world. If he participated in Creation, he would get all the worship, sacrifices, and conflict that he desired. Naoki still hoped that no one would want a world with Gozu-Tennoh in a position like that.

Hijiri continued his explanations. "This half is merely the energy intake, drawing in magatsuhi to power what is in the other half. This may sound far fetched, but imagine if you could take control of the atmospheric jet streams of the world, make them flow as you desired. You would then control weather patterns on a global scale, initiating massive storms over areas you don't like and ensuring perfect sunny weather whenever you wanted. This facility has the power to influence the flow of magatsuhi in that exact fashion. You see now what he's getting at?"

"He could have all the power to call on his god whenever he wanted," Naoki said. "Or deny it to anyone who opposes him."

"If the other half has enough energy, it won't matter that this half is attacked," Hijiri said. "He could take control and make magatsuhi flow through here without this core working." He then tapped his hat. "And this is just a hunch, but Hikawa strikes me as the sort of person who won't stop with that. He'd toy with everyone until he gets bored and decides to finish things on his terms. This sort of system could easily be weaponized to destroy his opponents as well. Against a group of demons like the Mantra, it'd be even easier."

The room quieted as the echoes in the outer chamber faded off. "They said they were going to sweep the area, then return to their headquarters," Naoki said.

"I should probably head out, just in case," Hijiri said, reaching over to the enormous drum by them. "Actually, we were lucky that you slipped into the Network last time. I would have sent you directly in here without realizing the true danger. Sorry about that."

"It's fine," he said. "But first, you know how to use these. There's a rotating hall across from that door with a wireless receiver. Can you make it passable?"

He nodded, his eyes scanning over the symbols nearby. "Sure, shouldn't hard... they'd have to have some command for... here, this should work." He pressed on three characters, making them glow green briefly.

Partly closing his eyes, Naoki focused on sensing past both doors. The mechanisms were locking in place. "That did it. Thanks."

"Be careful heading that way," Hijiri said, patting his shoulder. "They're sure to have traps to catch those that manage to see through this deception."

"We'll get past them," Naoki said.

"I hope we can talk more later then." He bowed his head, then departed.

* * *

While the attack on Nihilo's Ginza headquarters was an important move, a group had to stay behind to protect their headquarters. Thor remained with those defenders, not about to let his leader's city fall. He wanted it to be impregnable, but other members of this kingdom were rowdy. If a disturbance occurred, it was sometimes hard to tell if it was their own people or someone trying to invade.

There were a few little issues. The fiend with the motorcycle was still zooming around the highway. However, Gozu-Tennoh was correct and that biker had their own agenda. Thor suspected there was a second fiend lurking about too. Over in the western passages, ghosts and demons reported hearing a bell but never finding its source. It most likely had something to do with the young fiend that had defeated him. Thor wasn't privy to the secret dealings of the Fiend clan; they always seemed to act independently in spite of pledging the highest loyalty to Lucifer.

After discussing the issue, he and Gozu-Tennoh had decided to stay out of whatever the fiends were doing and focus on their own group. It meant that the third issue was something he should deal with. In the eastern passages at the terminal room, there were reports of a lone demon defeating two dozen of the home defenders on its own. It was one of the servants of Kagutsuchi, another clan of demon that was probably better not to mess with, not with their true master being the source of all light, life, and energy of the Vortex World. But it had still put a dent in their defenses.

Thor entered the shop area and soon found the armored dog outside the terminal room. The dog lowered its stance, trying to be a protector but intimidated. "Stay back," the dog growled.

"This is Mantra territory," Thor said firmly. "You have no right to cause trouble here."

"I'm doing my duty, you're not allowed in here," the dog said.

He didn't stop his approach, even as the dog bared its steel teeth. "I object to that. Either tell your ward to leave this town or I will take out both of you."

After a moment, the dog wrapped itself in Fire energy and launched itself at Thor's chest. He brought his arm up to block it as best he could, then responded with a burst of electricity. Although it damaged the dog badly, it wasn't going to stop it. The dog bit his arms, tried to blast him with flaming jets, and kicked if grabbed. At one point, it dashed between his legs and tried to charge into him. Thor still defeated the dog again.

The boy that had been with the young fiend was here. "What are you...?" he started to ask in annoyance, then stopped on seeing him. "Uh, hi."

"I heard the fiend left you behind," Thor said. "If you'd simply moved on, I wouldn't have cared. But since you're here," he threw a lightning bolt through him, just powerful enough to disable him, "you should be taken somewhere more secure. Humans have some value in this world. When you agree to work with us, we might let you go where you like."

Since they were in the terminal room, Thor picked the boy up and hefted him over his shoulder. Then he transferred them to Kabukicho. Mizuchi should be able to keep an eye on this one.

* * *

The formerly spinning hallway led to a longer hallway, which led to short hallway and a long elevator up. They were crossing the highway from underneath, which didn't seem this far. Still, it was a relief to get to the other half of this facility even if he had to take a moment to process it. It was a twin silo structure of fifteen floors each. One had a spherical core like the other half, but no apparent way to get down there. The other was full of small cubical structures with few supports and lots of enchantments. While there were many demons, it was hard to tell if there were humans around.

"This will be a puzzle maze," Naoki said.

"That sounds annoying," Sarutahiko said.

"You lived in a puzzle maze," Arahabaki said.

"It wasn't a puzzle, just dark until he brought the candelabrum back," he said.

Naoki shook his head. "The First Kalpa only needed keys. This is going to be an actual puzzle."

The last elevator brought them to the silo where only the top floor was accessible. There was something like a large computer tower in the center of a spiral floored room. Being in the room, that pattern seemed important. Four glowing pillars surrounded the white tower in the center. This would be a pain, but it was better gotten over with quickly.

The upper three layers of the other silo weren't bad. There were enchanted paths between floating cubes. Inside some cubes, there were switches to rotate other cubes and change the paths. There would be vaults at one side, holding keys they were calling kilas. If it wasn't for the battles on the way, it would have been mind-numbingly boring to get through. Even then, it was not nearly as many battles as had been in the First Kalpa.

On the fourth and fifth layers, there were thirty-six cubes connected by ladders and paths. While waiting on the others to get down the ladder, Arahabaki simply floated down through the holes in the sides. "How are you doing, Demi?" he asked. "Usually places with a lot of stuff going on gives you headaches."

"It's got a neatly ordered system, so it's not bad," Naoki said.

"How are you getting this puzzle done so fast?" Sarutahiko asked while on the ladder. "All these cubes look the same."

"I can sense them through my horn," he said. "For being their defense, it's embarrassingly easy."

An echoing laugh came from close to the vault. "You won't find this one so easy! But you shouldn't have gotten this far at all."

"That's your fault," another demon called from a cube closer to them.

"Shut up and march! It won't matter if we get him now, and that's your job! I'll make things harder on him."

"Keep quiet," Naoki said, closing his eyes. There were only three demons down here; there were paths in two rings and three switches. He should be able to keep track of that all. While there was a path to the vault door, the demon closest to the vault was heading to the switch nearest to it. He turned to Uzume and Sarutahiko, quietly saying, "You two stick together, head that way, then south, you should run into one of them; I'll know where you end up after the battle." When they nodded, he turned to Arahabaki. "You can get in and out of these, so stick by me."

With that decided, Naoki headed for a switch just south of him. The one demon reached the switch before he did; that flipped the corner cubes around. The one he reached switched those into the inner ring. It cut them off from his other two followers, but he expected that. Right now, they were facing an armored demon on horseback. It wasn't one of the actual Riders, so he wasn't worried about them.

The noisy demon headed out of the cube to head straight for the third switch. Meanwhile, the second horseman was heading towards one of the squares Naoki could control. Did they have a safety system? He waited by the switch, finding out that the third switch moved the cube by the vault and the center square. From that, it was clear that the original layout was the only one to reach every square. He certainly couldn't get to the vault from here. The second horseman continued his patrol, heading towards the one cube... and onto the path into it. Naoki flipped the switch.

They were short paths, but the system moved fast enough that it caught the horseman on the path while the cube rotated. A loud whinny filled the silo as the horse and its rider plunged down to the bottom. While he shouldn't think so, it was kind of funny. "What are you up to?!" the loud demon called from over the cube maze.

"Not my doing," a voice deeper than the other horseman called back. And they reappeared in the cube he'd first sensed them in. Then those horseman at least were only shades.

Naoki waved Arahabaki back to a neighboring cube, then made sure his footsteps could be heard moving away from the switch. Then they waited as the loud demon headed right for the switch. Nearby, he felt his followers defeating the first horseman. Just like the other, a new shade was called up to intercept them again.

When the loud demon flew overhead, he saw that it was a strange blue and white star being. It wasn't quite a starfish since it had two halves that spun independently of each other. Fallen Kaiwan, he nulled elemental attacks and had no weaknesses. Sneaking over the path, Naoki got in the cube behind Kaiwan and punched him while he was flipping the switch with one of his bulky starfish arms.

"Ow, hey!" Kaiwan turned around, an angry look on his disturbingly human face. "What was that for?"

"You're getting in my way," Naoki replied. It was obvious.

But then so was, "You don't have permission to be here!" When Naoki readied his fist again, Kaiwan backed off. "Grrr, you're going to regret this!" He vanished into silver smoke.

"You are a damn coward, Kaiwan," one of the horseman said in disdain.

"It's a tactical retreat, they won't get this kila," Kaiwan retorted right before he entered the vault. But he didn't even lock it.

Uzume and Sarutahiko were coming in from another cube, laughing over something. "Took that guy down easily," Sarutahiko said proudly, keeping his arm linked with Uzume's.

Nodding, Naoki waved for Arahabaki to come closer. "Right, but he called up another shade. They can't reach us at the moment, but we need to flip the switches back. Arahabaki, the vault entrance is that way. There's a cube out of the main square formation there. From there, go south one, then west one. There should be a switch there: flip it back and then guard it. We'll meet you over there."

"Got it." He floated up to get to his destination; it was great that he'd evolved like this, since it helped with this puzzle.

Then he needed to give instructions to his other two. "We'll need to use a ladder to get to the central switch, then hustle back over to flip this back and reach the vault. And we do have to move quick, since those horsemen could flip the switches too."

"You might think this is easy, but I'd get so lost here now that I can't fly like I used to," Uzume said.

It was a rush to make it to the two switches and then to the vault door before the horsemen interfered. The holes in the sides of the cubes were large enough to let the horsemen through easily. And by the time they got to the north row, Arahabaki had gotten into a battle with one of them. He was at a severe disadvantage because the horsemen could use fire spells, one of the things Arahabaki was weak to. Thankfully, the horseman didn't think to try one before they arrived to help.

Past the door, they found themselves in a large hall with many doors instead of a single vault. Kaiwan was there, along with twelve shades of himself. They all laughed, slightly out of sync with each other. "Think you're clever?" all of the Kaiwans said. "You're wrong! You will never find the last kila like you will never find the true me!"

If that latter claim was true, then he wasn't there at all as the kila wasn't in this room. But it was clear to Naoki: one of them was twice as strong as the rest. He pointed out the true Kaiwan, "You, the one hiding in back of the others."

The real one sputtered. "Wh-what?!" His shades reacted with shock and anger. Unlike Naoki's followers, these shades were tied to their original and held echoes of his emotions.

Getting himself focused, Naoki told his demons, "Don't use magic against them, we'll just hit them all hard and fast."

"Got it," Sarutahiko said, readying his sword to dive right in to the battle. Arahabaki's eyes flickered, focusing himself as well.

Naoki tapped into Kamudo's skills to activate Heat Wave. He wasn't sure what it would do, but it curled up his right hand like he was about to grip something. When he did, a blade of bright magic materialized in his hand and was swept out in front of him. The resulting wave of energy tore through the Kaiwans; some even died immediately. The original would take more of a beating, but the shades would quickly be mopped up.

* * *

"..."

"Hmm?" Futomimi opened his eyes, barely awake. He couldn't feel anything but pain; he wanted to go back to sleep even though it wouldn't be refreshing. However, it seemed like someone had called his name.

"...Futomimi..."

Not wanting to respond, he closed his eyes. It might be one of the jailers. If he was quiet, they'd think he had little magatsuhi at the moment. He was trying to maintain that illusion, to regain energy to heal with. It might work.

Images of glowing butterflies danced across his vision.

He opened his eyes and saw the floor of his cell. No one was in here with him. No, wait... no one was physically here. There was a presence, though. "Who are you?" he whispered, closing his eyes again.

The butterflies returned. "Aradia. Keep hope in your hearts and we will find a way to thrive even here."

"Those are..." his words, one of the first things he'd said to his people.

"I am a goddess of hope, a goddess for people like you," Aradia said. Her voice was sweet and airy, but something wasn't right with it. "You need a god for Creation, right? You have little but hope on your side; I answered your need."

"You can get us out of here?" Futomimi asked. This could be an incredible blessing; he could have a goddess for his Reason well before the rest. But something didn't feel right. Was this too easy? Calling on gods took some kind of sacrifice and a great deal of magatsuhi.

"You can get out of here. Don't give up and your prayers will be answered."

She couldn't be seen except as blue-green butterflies when his eyes were closed. Butterflies... beautiful, flighty, frail... they lived brief lives moving from flower to flower to draw nectar. Aradia... beautiful, gentle, delicate... she existed on hopes of the desperate, those who had little but hope. Butterflies could not move prison doors, not even in a mirage.

"No," he said. "You're a false goddess. You have nothing but hope to offer."

Thin wings caressed his skin. "If you change your mind, simply call my name with hope. Your hope is beautiful too; please don't let it die." Then she flew away. Prisons couldn't hold that butterfly.

Even if she was false, it was true that he couldn't let his hope die. Futomimi dropped his feelings of pain and reached for the state of his visions. Finding a god could wait, he needed a Reason first. It needed to be something for all manikins.

He could see that dream so well. His kin working in sunny fields for a bountiful harvest, towns where the children played without needing to hide in fear, everyone doing their part to bring happiness to all: a gentle people deserved a gentle life and no one deserved a painful one. But what would be the Reason that would bring such a beautiful dream to life?

What was the name of his Reason?

* * *

In Ikebukuro, the demons drunk on victory gathered to get drunk with beer and ale. There were a lot of wild stories being passed around, more tales of glorious kills than the authentic number of fallen Nihilo members. From the way they were acting, one would think they had won a war, not just one battle. It was all wrong to a hilarious degree.

Not that Hikawa laughed at much. And there was one thing that bugged him: the Mantra's second in command was not at their headquarters. Thor had picked up the indecisive boy and taken him to Kabuchiko Prison. That could lead to issues later. Brushing his fingers across the drum of the core, Hikawa changed the view it was giving him. The girl was traipsing through a dark passage... she was headed to Ikebukuro. She was lucky to be going now, when she might not find much resistance upon arriving.

As for the Demifiend... the door to the core room opened up, letting four demons inside. Hikawa had been preparing for this meeting. This could be the only thing to cause him any difficulty because the Demifiend could have the power to oppose him. "I'm surprised that you brutes made it this far," he said as if he didn't know.

"We're not part of the Mantra," he said. His three followers obediently left the conversation to him.

"Is that so?" He turned around, looking them over. While his demons weren't of a beginner's stock, they were still low ranked. Hikawa wouldn't have his demons traveling with him; he only had Ose out to dissuade Kagutsuchi. "Wait, you're that boy from the hospital. You've changed greatly; you must be the Demifiend."

That caught him off guard. "What?"

"It is what they formally call you, correct?" Hikawa said. He stayed where he was; sound would carry just fine in this space. "In the Scriptures of Miroku, everything is written with certainty. Save one part, Passage 13. This passage speaks of the theory of the Demifiend, a human and demon hybrid to be raised as Lucifer's heir in hopes that they will finally break the eternal stalemate between the forces of Heaven and Hell in favor of the latter. You are not a requirement of the processes of Conception and Creation. However, the state of the Vortex World allows for your existence. Had someone like you emerged in a normal world, marked as the heir of the devil, you would have been hunted down ruthlessly and killed while you were still weak."

"I haven't been called that yet," he said. His attention was drifting some, given that he was observing the area.

"They would keep as much from you as they could," Hikawa said. "You should pay attention, listen to as many sides as you can in spite of the current state of the world. But first, what brings you down here if you're not with the Mantra?"

"An..." he stopped, then said, "Yuko. I'm looking for her."

"Ah, that is the obvious reason," Hikawa said. What had he nearly said? "Unfortunately for you, she's not here. She never was here. And as things stand, you won't easily reach her. She has a great importance to this world as the Maiden of Creation and a key part of the Assembly of Nihilo. Don't worry, she's safe where she is."

"What are you doing with her?" Demifiend's eyes looked right to him now; the glowing lines on his skin pulsed quicker. He was a half-demon without peer now, so his nonverbal cues weren't simple to read. But he was most likely angered.

But he was still human, so perhaps he could be shamed? "Don't be so hasty to assume things," he said.

His eyes narrowed. That was a more normal sign that it wasn't working. What now? Negotiating with a demon was so much smoother when he knew their backgrounds and boundaries. No matter how chaotic they claimed to be, demons could not step out of their lines.

"If you must know, she is helping me with her powers as an oracle." Hopefully that phrasing didn't set him off. Now a quick distraction. "Did you know about that? She had a natural talent as a medium, but when that emerged, she was still a college student without the means to afford the extra lessons. I had offered to sponsor young people with such rare talents; that is how we initially met. Later on, she came to me and offered her assistance as the Maiden without my even asking." He'd hinted about it and let her borrow the scriptures, but strictly speaking, that was mostly true.

"Why did you end our world?" he asked.

"If you want a plain and simple answer, it's because it was too noisy," Hikawa said. "But there is far more behind that. As I told you before, history was caught in an endless cycle it could not escape. Anything that could be new got blocked from being created; any revolution was resisted with all the effort that fools could muster."

"The world was fine as it was." Demifiend approached him, seeming like he could attack.

Hikawa took his summoning charm between his fingers and quickly cast a ward to dissuade him from getting too close. "Not everyone would agree with that," he said, feeling like he'd said that to a tiring degree to others.

"Not everyone would agree with you." He did not stop, even though his followers did due to the ward.

He could still salvage this; Hikawa resisted an impulse of fear. This half-demon couldn't be that strong, not if those were the demons responding to him. "What I am seeking is a worldwide sense of serenity," he said.

Thankfully, that interested Demifiend enough that he held off on attacking. "Can you really find serenity like this?"

"It was the only way to find it in a pure uncontested state," Hikawa said. "In the old world, there were too many needs that went unmet, too many injustices that went ignored. People clamored for their problems to be solved. But even those of us who seemed to have everything could not do enough to alleviate those pains. Perhaps if all of those of my status contributed, it may have helped. But too many were greedy and did not care. Even if they had, there as no guarantee that those rescued from poverty and need would put forth the work to repay the world for helping them.

"You see, people did not live for the world. They lived only for themselves, which contributed to the expanding problems." Feeling more confidant, he took a few steps towards him. Ose kept close. "That crushes the health of the world when people should exist for the world. There is much clutter and noise that blocked what must be done, so yes, starting over completely had become necessary. With the power of Kagutsuchi, there are many problems that can be removed: the strife caused by nationalism, the greed caused by consumerism, the resentment caused by classism.

"The Reason of Shijima will remake the world so that such division will make no sense. The people will be given a peaceful nature that will appreciate silence and unity. Everyone will contribute equally, to be rewarded equally. The good of the world as a whole will be held as the highest ideal and what we see as evils will find no fuel to burn society away. For this purpose, I have sacrificed everything I have so that the perfect world can exist. What do you say? Will you renounce the flames of desire and seek with me a world that exhibits the pure serenity that one can see within the Amala drums?"

Demifiend had been listening, but then a strange calm overcame him. It was similar to watching Yuko enter those trances of hers. Was it the same power? What would he be seeing?


	17. Don't Bring Swords to a Fist Fight

When Isamu woke back up, he found himself in what appeared to be a classroom. The desks were empty and battered, some busted up completely; the markerboard was covered in Amala characters and complex calculations. Cold blue light filtered through the barred windows. On the wall, the clock ticked as heavily as it did when the room would be silenced for tests. Someone was watching him.

His eyes flew open and he turned around. No one was in here with him. Still, he had a sense that he was still being watched. There was a camera in the corner with a blinking light. Rubbing his head, Isamu said, "Oh great, exactly where I don't want to be."

There was a lunchroom tray with a bowl of curry rice and a glass of water on one of the better desks. But he didn't like eating in the classroom; he'd rather be out of a place like this as much as possible. He tried to leave and found that the door was locked. Was somebody trying to make this a prison? As much as it annoyed him, he was hungry. Well, he could eat at the teacher's desk for a change.

Once he picked up the tray, he noticed there was a note under the bowl. 'A world is nothing without power. A person is nothing without power. You cannot do anything without power to assert your rights. You should be well aware of this now that you've been captured by us twice. In spite of that, you do have a power of your own: the ability to create a Reason for the new world's foundation. You should make a Reason that gives the world the strength to truly thrive. Until you do, we will be steadily draining power from you as fuel for our new world. Think over your Reason carefully.'

"Do I really have to go along with this nonsense?" Isamu said. "Hmph, I don't have to make my Reason for you. I don't have to make my Reason for anyone. In fact, I don't have to make it at all."

That was true, but then what else was there to think about? He was at a dead end with trying to find Ms. Takao, made even worse since he didn't have the laptop or a terminal. Maybe he should simply restore the world like Naoki wanted. That would be easiest. Still, Isamu had often felt like he didn't fit in. He could try as hard as he could and still fail in that old world. The only times he succeeded at anything were when he was playing video games. Yet if he tried multiplayer games, he'd end up failing because of cheaters and jerks. Nobody saw him as anything special and the few people he saw as special saw him as nothing. Maybe even Naoki was the same way now.

Why did his best friend think their friendship was failing? They had always hung out together; Isamu had cheered Naoki up when he'd been down over his grandfather's death a couple years back, keeping him from being too dismal. He said something about not listening, but that couldn't be the problem. After all, that was one of those vague complaints that people told him when they couldn't think of anything specific to nag him about. Maybe Naoki really had a crush on Chiaki? He didn't understand his tastes in going after that girl, but he was the only reason that Isamu would willingly be around her.

That wasn't helping. After finishing the lunch left for him, Isamu went over to the markerboard. The equations were boring, but the Amala characters were ones he understood. "Instructions on how to summon the drums?" he read aloud. "No way, this is how I get them anywhere? Heh, let's see this school hold me now; I just have to call on one and then I'm gone. Wish I could've had that ability back in real classes."

The lock on the door clicked. He turned in time to see a pale man with a snake body below his waist come inside. Over the snake man, a huge snake made of nothing but water slithered in through the air. "You're finally awake, boy," the water snake said, coming his way. "Welcome to my mirage. Did you find our note?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Isamu asked. And what was he talking about with a mirage? Everything in this classroom seemed real.

"We're here to speak with you about our world of true strength," the snake said. And before Isamu had realized it, the creature had curled itself around to corner him near the wall. "You need to stay alive, but as long as you do, it doesn't really matter how we convince you of the validity of our cause."

Recalling the pains of being electrocuted twice, Isamu felt like he knew what kind of arguments these demons would have.

* * *

_Kashima Naoki, see what the future may hold..._

A busy street of Tokyo, people moving from place to place. There was a strange hush to it all. While people glanced at others, they did not greet any. Not a word was said. Even the vehicles moving along the road were barely audible. There were no pigeons cooing on the sidewalks, no animals at all. At one corner, a worker was patching up a small area of weathering on a building. Other than that repair, everything looked pristine.

Look deeper. There's no one sad here, no one angry. No one is uncertain of themselves or their place in the world. No one is happy either, no one hopeful. These people go from place to place on their necessary routines. A woman stops by a food stand and offers payment. In response, the worker gives her a simple meal. No eye contact, no smiles, no thanks, no words. The transaction is completed with total efficiency.

At a corner, an Amala drum whirs to life.

No, this isn't total efficiency. There's too many people for the jobs that are absolutely necessary. We don't need teachers, the Amala teaches what's necessary. We don't need entertainers of any kind: musicians, sportsmen, writers, artists, actors, all of them and more can be cut out of the world. Besides, they all disturb serenity. They lead to unnecessary thoughts.

No one gets old. No one is born or killed. There is no need for doctors. Everyone knows their place. There is no need for priests or counselors. No one disturbs the order of the world. There is no need for lawyers, judges, or policemen. Farmers are needed, repairmen are needed, cleaners are needed. Children are not needed.

With so many who would disturb the serenity of the world gone, there is far less need. Even the necessary workers can be pared down to improve serene efficiency. But that means there's an excess of structures, buildings, roads, and cities. This was all meant to support the inefficient population. What's not used can be eliminated. What's inefficient can be replaced with what's efficient. Waste is contrary to the world's ideal.

But why stop there? What was the force of humanity doing now? They were existing without pain and worry, with nothing more to do but keep existing. They wanted for nothing and so wanted nothing more. Isn't that a waste too? They could be eliminated easily and the world would go on, serene and peaceful.

A fading image of Hikawa watched over an expanse of grassland; no other evidence of humanity was there. "I know I do not belong to the world of Shijima. This is a perfect world returned to innocence and my hands are stained by sin. But I don't care about that. I am proud enough to be the one responsible for bringing this world about; few people can claim an accomplishment like that."

And I am ecstatic and vindicated with the death of the old world; few people can claim an accomplishment like that either. I am more powerful than so many of the gods to have done so. Even as I died with the Vortex World, my soul was still blissful as a bringer of death.

_Will you allow this future to come about?_

No. That was even worse than how Gozu-Tennoh had spoken of the potential of Shijima. Naoki licked his lips to clear the vision, then looked at Hikawa. Yes, there was still a twisted satisfaction at destroying the world within him. It was a taste that Naoki couldn't quite describe. Disturbingly, there was something enticing to that. One would be more powerful than the gods by murdering an entire world. It should taste as horrible as it was horrifying, but strangely it wasn't.

He couldn't get distracted by that. Or by Anathema; the leopard demon accompanying Hikawa was audacious enough to be wearing the sealed magatama as an earring. Both of those were stirring at his demonic body, as well as a deliciously sour tang of fear coming from Hikawa. The man fiddled with his paper charm again. Naoki could tell that he was doing something, but the magic kept falling off him like loose threads.

"I will not allow your Reason to be used for Creation," Naoki said, bitter tastes of his own losses coming to him. Hikawa was just as responsible for what was happening to his family as the angels were.

While Hikawa narrowed his eyes in anger, his heart was beating faster out of fear. He tried his charm again. "It seems like we won't be meeting each other eye to eye," he tried to threaten. "But you alone won't amount to much in the process of Creation."

Something was off about that statement. Naoki took a step closer, getting the leopard Ose to move in front of his summoner. "You're bluffing."

Hikawa tensed further. From his poise, one would think he was still composed when he wasn't. "You won't be able to participate directly," he claimed. "Your right to compose a Reason for Creation was revoked when you became what you are now."

"What?" That didn't have the same taste as the earlier statement. Even though he was willing to risk a counter from Ose, Naoki held off on his anger a bit longer.

Even though it had failed him several times now, Hikawa kept trying whatever ward he had in mind. "Only humans can bear the seed of Reason; that is an unchanging law of Creation. Your demonic sponsors wouldn't tell you that either. All you can do as a half-demon is support one of us. If you're going to be angry at anyone, it should be the one who stole your humanity."

"Or you, who destroyed the world I loved," Naoki said, feeling himself snarl. Ose shifted his swords.

Kill them now.

This time, he really wanted to listen to the magatama. But some part of his restraint held taunt, giving Hikawa a moment to step back. Hateful panic radiated from him, grabbing for whatever could give him control of the conversation again. "You are making a mistake. I am the Lord of Creation and I will not allow myself to be struck down easily. Here, let me show you the power I wield: I will awaken the Nightmare System!"

The Amala drums making up this core spun rapidly to his words. A complex web of instructions filled the air, given in characters Naoki could not understand. Even so, they filled his awareness, drawing spiraling trails through the air and forcing the dense pool of magatsuhi along its designs. It crashed into Naoki like a tsunami, breaking up his awareness of everything else. So much pain from the deaths of billions; all their fleeting thoughts and emotions at the Earth's dying breath.

All that pain burst out of this silo, blazing through the interior air towards a tall skyscraper standing proudly among the ruins. No demon there was as sensitive as he was, but they felt the crushing weight of so much energy striking at once. While they were stunned, another tower in the Vortex World activated. The black Obelisk shimmered red briefly.

Yuko was there, trapped in a trance and being used to direct this nightmare.

The Obelisk pulled on the flow of magatsuhi in the Vortex World. Aiming at the same target, it withdrew all energy to take within itself. That immense blast was taken away immediately, followed by what magatsuhi had been there already. The Mantra demons had been drinking and carousing in celebration; now they were quickly becoming exhausted as the energy that gave them life was stolen away. Weakened and unable to flee, they crumbled to nothing.

At the very top, even Gozu-Tennoh was not immune. "What wicked sorcery is this?" he murmured. His body was that of a stone statue, immobile and now helpless. "Why does my very life flow right out of my body? It's... it's Nihilo. Cowards, you should have the honor to fight face to face! I will not forget this, Hikawa. My body may crumble, but my soul will persevere on this hatred. I will find a way to dethrone you just the same."

"Demi!"

"I don't see how you can be the Demifiend when you crumple that easily," someone closer to him said. Fallen Ose, mostly physical skills based around having a weapon, he could counter. Hikawa had already fled the room. And somewhere in the Nightmare System activation, he had collapsed to his knees.

Naoki took a deep breath, then licked his lips to make sure he was alert. Ose was about to attack, thinking he was slaying a weak opponent; the wards had done nothing to him, but the remnants were keeping his demons from coming close. Among the magatama, Kamudo and Gaea were trying to guide him. Shift his legs carefully, brace himself with his hands...

"We of Nihilo will not let even you stop us," Ose said, readying his twin blades.

Immediately, Naoki sprang forward, throwing all of his weight into a tackle towards his unguarded stomach. Ose lurched over, caught breathless. That wasn't enough, not by far. Next, Naoki went for the leopard's chin, getting himself steady on his feet as he did so. He grabbed one of Ose's swords, snatched it away, and threw it into the wall of this dome. "Don't you be bringing swords to a fistfight," Naoki said, weaving Taunt into his words.

Ose stumbled back, bringing his arms into a defensive posture to compose himself. After a couple seconds, he smiled. "Heh, if that's how you want to go." He threw his other sword away, then lunged for him. Black claws flashed on his hands, ready to dig into his skin.

This wasn't a time to worry. While he would be snatched from death, this should be dealt with quickly. Take it like he would face a final death, follow Gaea and Kamudo's lead because that was the only way he could fight like this. He got grazed on the shoulder by Ose's claws, which let him know how swift he was. Naoki couldn't match that, not yet. Sensing that too, Ose went for his throat next.

Good, he's making long moves, make short moves. Catch him on the overswing and counter where he's vulnerable.

Somehow, Naoki punched Ose's fist out of his attack, then followed up by kneeing him in the groin. Don't stop there. When he was bent over, Naoki slammed a fist into the side of his head. There was a sickening crack of the skull and Ose completely collapsed. "You see me for who I am now?" Naoki asked.

He was fading, but Ose smiled at that. "Heh. Make Lucifer proud." Then he accepted the death.

"I'm being a monster and it's not even full Kagutsuchi," Naoki mumbled to himself. Still, he crouched down to pick up Anathema where it had dropped. It could be more monstrous to give Nihilo any room to win. He would not want to live in that awful interpretation of serenity.

Behind him, his demons cheered. "That was one hell of a match!" Sarutahiko called.

"Only problem was that it was over so fast," Arahabaki said, amused and proud of him.

Anathema was still inactive from the earring seal. Naoki got up and started back to them. The four of them: Matador was out again. "You brought popcorn?" Naoki asked.

"Why not?" Matador asked, idly tossing a piece in one hand. "Perhaps you passed through those wards like they were nothing but silk curtains, but that man is a proficient summoner. These three had no chance to advance until that magic faded. So I thought I'd at least help them enjoy the show, which was very well worth it."

"We did save you some," Uzume said, offering a small bowl to him.

"Thanks," he said, accepting it from her. There was a shudder in his mind, briefly wondering how they could take it all like a show. He knew exactly why: life and death had different meaning for demons and a good fight, no matter how brutal it was, was something to enjoy. The same thoughts led to Ose's parting words and admiration. In fact, his feelings of guilt would be as alien to them as his feelings of joyful pride in that victory would be to a normal human.

"It's too bad we couldn't find that Yuko here," Uzume said. "What now?"

"She's in a place called the Obelisk," Naoki said. "I saw that when that Nightmare System went off. Any ideas of how to get there?"

Uzume and Arahabaki couldn't know; their origins were from Shinjuku and Ginza. And being from the Amala Labyrinth, Sarutahiko had no clue either. Matador shook his head. "Sorry, I have a vague idea of where that place is, but none on how to reach it."

As for himself, only one idea seemed strong. "This place basically sucked most of the magatsuhi from the Mantra headquarters, but that assault should be weakened now. Let's go to Ikebukuro; Isamu might have better luck finding a route to the Obelisk with the terminals. While I think Raziel left when we did, Daisoujou would have been rather close to the attack."

"That was an immense attack, but don't count on it weakening the old monk," Matador said. "Raziel is what that outsider calls himself? He looked rather pitiful for an angel of death."

"You can't deny that he nearly wiped us out while barely trying," Naoki said. "Let's get out of this room. I need a moment for Anathema, then we'll use the terminal to get out."

"For what?" Arahabaki asked. When he showed them the awakening magatama, he chuckled. "Oh, that's why you took that fight like a madman."

"One reason of several," he admitted.

"I still need to speak with you about the angels," Matador said. Naoki let him explain.

* * *

In the captive sky of the Vortex World, a winged figure was barely visible as a ripple in the air. He was pacing, thinking. There were angels to watch.

Admittedly, this was far from the first time that Lucifer had attempted to raise a Demifiend. Their efforts had failed thus far, some spectacularly so. Only a few had gotten far in their training. Even fewer had made it far enough to challenge him, Trumpeter. Several of those had failed then and there. Yet, those very few that triumphed over him had still failed Lucifer. Hybrids were an unpredictable breed, but the demon lord saw enough potential to focus his efforts on this plan.

Trumpeter wouldn't say so aloud, but he didn't see the point of it. The Fiend clan did well enough as independent agents; they didn't need a central leader. Whenever they needed an organized effort, it was always Lucifer directing them. The Apocalypse Riders worked as one, but they didn't care to direct the other fiends, nor did the rest want to take orders from those four. And to be asking such a child to direct ancient fears like themselves, it wasn't going to help any. Maybe if the successful Demifiend operated as independently as the rest of them, it'd work out as always.

No matter what he thought, the angels trying to stop Lucifer's plans were still a problem to deal with. They'd wisened up finally to what had been going on. Half-truths had been added to the prophetic writings of Miroku, things that the divine side had observed of them. And that led to the problem of the current incarnation of the Demifiend being a target of the angels while his powers were still developing.

They had the powerful Seraph Michael watching over Demifiend personally, trying to snatch his soul away every time he died. To make matters worse, Michael had the authority to direct other Seraphs and the lesser Divines into assisting his efforts. Trumpeter felt like he should head to Ikebukuro since the Demifiend was. Daisoujou's orders had not changed as far as he knew, making this time a greater risk than when the child had been challenging Matador. Even so, that plan should not change; it was a lesson that had to be learned.

Even with all this struggle over one half-human's soul, Lucifer was leaving this up to the whims of human will. That kind of audacity was to be admired, even as much as it frustrated Trumpeter about how this might all end up for naught. Was this child worthy? He wanted to mock him, but at the same time wanted him to actually succeed. Next time, the angels might stop them before they even started.

A flutter of motion caught his eye, someone equally hidden from ordinary sight. Then she appeared, white wings shaped like his own and brass chains trailing from her waist. "Don't think you've gone unnoticed," the Divine Trumpeter warned.

Something was different about her, or perhaps it'd just been so long. Her radiant smile seemed to mock him. Letting himself appear, the Fiend Trumpeter growled, "You! What are you doing here?!"

"I have a duty to carry out," she said, waving the apocalyptic trumpet she carried. Was her presence a declaration of open war in this Vortex World? "I imagine you do as well?"

This was strange. "I heard you'd joined a bunch of crackpots; I thought it was just a rumor. But I'm thinking it's true if you're speaking to me so casually."

She chuckled at that. "That depends; I serve how I see fit. Have your musical skills tarnished as much as your body?"

"Oh no, I can play with far more passion than you ever could," he said.

He didn't need to play his part just now. As it turned out, neither did she. The challenge was on.

* * *

The Scriptures of Miroku claimed that if the Demifiend opposed a Reason, that Reason was as good as stillborn. This Demifiend was passionately against Shijima. He explained nothing of why and would not listen to why Hikawa's world should be. Maybe he'd seen something under trance that he didn't like. Maybe he couldn't see past the necessary death of the old world.

However, Hikawa wasn't about to give up. Demifiend had some vulnerabilities; something in activating the Nightmare System had overcome him when Ose and the other demons in the core room weren't affected. It could be the ability to use a trance to see things out of normal knowledge. If so, then controlling him would be much like controlling Yuko. He also wasn't that powerful yet. Cutting him down soon would end the threat to Shijima, but then it'd remain a mystery what he was truly capable of.

And the Scriptures of Miroku could be mistaken as well, exaggerating the Demifiend's potential influence. The uncertainty of that passage, the different use of language; Passage 13 might have been written outside of a prophetic trance, or even by someone else. The theory was coming true, but couldn't be taken as completely valid yet.

Now that he was in a completely different building, Hikawa smiled as he watched over the events in the core through an Amala drum. It was alarming that the warding charms did nothing to Demifiend; what might actually block him should he turn violent in person? His fighting style was all physical there, more experienced than that boy should be. And not just anyone could persuade a demon to give up their favored weapons like he had gotten Ose to toss aside his sword. What kind of contact did he have with Lucifer? The demon lord was said to be very persuasive, so it wasn't too surprising that his chosen heir might be the same.

He should dismiss Ose, given his parting words. Hikawa tapped his fingers against his arm. While Ose had served him well, he had lost that battle and shown admiration for a person that was clearly their foe. It would not do for someone important within the Assembly of Nihilo to have conflicting interests.

It wouldn't be a big loss. Many demons had been attracted to Nihilo even before his Reason had been named. With promises that they would be reborn in the new world, the demons were happy to support him. He'd not yet told them that his vision of Shijima did not actually include demons in the new world. They'd be too disruptive even if they agreed to a life with less passion. Fools. Magatsuhi was born of emotions, the stronger the better. Even if Hikawa included the demons in his plans, there would not be enough to sustain them.

However, he should replace Ose as his bodyguard before breaking contract. Hikawa could take care of his own water and food within this world, but he still needed to block any of Kagutsuchi's servants from forcing themselves to his side. He didn't need their empty praise or redundant guidance. Who should he call on? It needed to be a demon who could effectively guard him from his one true threat, Demifiend.

Based on some other footage of Demifiend fighting through the cube maze, Hikawa decided to call on the strongest demon he could control. If he was to be honest, it was one he barely controlled and he'd have to take care in dealing with it. It should give Demifiend trouble, though.

Hikawa didn't want to deal with the full ceremony of that summoning, so he sent himself to Shibuya. There was a Cathedral of Shadows there and it was less likely that he'd run into Demifiend using that one. When he entered, the minister was waiting attentively. "Welcome, what is your business here?"

"I need your Demonic Compendium," Hikawa said.

"Very well." He waved an arm and grasped the hefty tome from nothing. "Who are you looking for?"

"Vile Samael." They'd not fulfilled a formal contract yet, but Hikawa had made a deal with the dragon once. That had been completed in a timely manner.

"Give me your hand," the minister said. That kind of action wasn't strictly necessary; Hikawa preferred visual means of scanning. For the convenience of their services, he went along with their methods. "I can summon him for you, but it will not be an automatic contract between you both."

Hikawa nodded and passed over the summoning fee. Keeping the book in hand, the minister turned to his pillars and began murmuring a long incantation. If he was doing this himself, Hikawa would need a blood offering, precisely made magic diagrams, and an effigy to send his request into the Abyss. The ministers must have had some contract with a higher being, given that they could call upon and fuse demons, angels, and even gods. There was no point to asking them for specifics; they were silent on their dealings.

A couple minutes later, dark smoke gathered within the pillars. The crimson serpent emerged, stretching its six wings audibly to announce its presence. "Ah, it's you."

"Hello again Samael," Hikawa said, giving him a small bow. "I'm seeking a formal contract this time. My former bodyguard for this world failed me and..." even with study, it was difficult to tell where Samael's true loyalties lay, whether he was an angel hiding in a demon form or a demon bluffing an angelic demeanor. However, he did favor those who spoke truth. "...I have angered the Demifiend. I need one of the best to counter him."

"You ask me for a difficult task," Sameal said, flicking his tongue out. "Are you willing to help me prepare to face such a foe?"

Hikawa nodded. "He's still learning his powers, but yes, I'll help you attain the power to stop him."

Chuckling, the winged serpent replied, "We must be ready for anything from that creature. Very well, for the honor of battling the Demifiend, I agree to a contract to protect and serve you."

It was a risk when Samael's stated intention was battling their enemy. But just like the high risks in angering Demifiend, it gave Hikawa a thrill to increase the stakes more. He finally had a good opponent to toy with; maybe he'd even become a worthy one.

* * *

Flashes of colors and feelings, escaping impossibly from his mind. Choking on water and never being allowed to drown, splinters from the desk that had broken when he got thrown into it, the faint slither on the tiled floor. "Come on, someone whose been 'chosen' shouldn't be crushed so easily." Bitter medicine had been forced down his throat only to keep him alive, as they needed him. He'd had some bad run-ins with bullies, but they'd never had magical powers before.

Crumpled on the ground, Isamu quivered and hoped they weren't coming back. He didn't care now how it looked. It was clear he wasn't going to have a chance at being a hero or doing anything glorious. Why did everything have to be so unfair? He hadn't asked for this! At this point, he'd take his normal old life. It was better than this insanity. Nobody was going to help him. As usual, he was going to be ignored while others got all the attention for no good reason.

But he had a power the demons did not: the ability to make a Reason for a new world.

That was a real power.

Realizing that, Isamu opened his eyes. His mind felt numb and his body ached. A patch of blue starlight had settled over him. Ignoring his condition, he pushed himself up and looked out the window. Kagutsuchi glimmered like any other star even though it appeared larger than the sun. You could wish on any old little star, which might be fun for a moment but it'd never come true. But that star did grant wishes, as long as you obeyed its rules. You didn't get wishes if you broke the rules.

"Fine, I'll play by your rules, Kagutsuchi," Isamu mumbled. He got up and glanced around. While he knew he'd been used to break at least one of the desks, the room looked exactly as it did when he'd first woken up here. That included the lunchroom tray with curry rice and a glass of icy water. They would want to keep him alive in case he did go along with them.

That also included the markerboard with the instructions on how to summon an Amala drum. Did they realize that? Isamu doubted it; the Mantra brutes didn't seem like the sort. His throat was dry, so he gingerly walked over to get the glass before studying the markerboard.

There was a certain feeling to using the network to transport yourself from one terminal to another. That feeling had to be grasped, the character of the network. While some of the instructions seemed magical in nature, Isamu tried to will them into working. That was how magic was, right? You willed what you wanted to be to be. There was some magical spark, but how did that work in reality?

Something seemed to pull at him, much like how they pulled the energy they called magatsuhi from him. It made his insides squirm at the reminder. But no, he didn't need to fear this. Isamu needed to pull that magic to do his will. This was not the world of the mundane; this was the world of the extraordinary and he had been chosen to exist here. No one else mattered.

Around him, strange lights danced into rings. They condensed in two places, one beside him and one close to his hand. Isamu held his hand out and a tiny tin version of the terminals dropped into it. Closing his fingers over it, he knew that this was his key. He'd taken a step closer to being a master of the Amala Network. To confirm that, a terminal manifested in the classroom with him.

"Yes," Isamu said, some of his spirits returning through his weariness. He touched the top ring of the terminal. This was his alone, it would appear whenever he called it. All of its knowledge, all of its power, all of its freedom... they couldn't keep him here in this prison.

But there was something about this place. The way the blue light filtered through the bars was strangely stimulating, fueling his thoughts when his body was still struggling to keep up. He'd never felt this way before. Being here, he felt like he could defy his captors and find his destiny. And with the terminal, he had all the knowledge to make sure that his Reason would create the absolute best world for himself. Yes, the truth was within him. He didn't need to listen to any others.

Still, things he had wondered about drifted through his mind. Perhaps examining these things would help clear up his ideals. "Amala drum..." his throat felt dry, he took a drink before asking. "How did Ms. Takao and Naoki get separated from us at the Conception? They had to be in the hospital to survive."

The drum wound backwards, revealing what it knew. The two of them met up in the basement and headed for the elevator to reach the roof. Ah, no wonder their paths hadn't crossed. Naoki asked if they should get him and Chiaki to join them. However, Ms. Takao said that there was no time for that and that the Amala drums interfered with cell phones. They talked about the Conception like they both had expected it. Ms. Takao accepted it without concern while Naoki was troubled on finding out it was real.

Then she said something shocking. "I know that you will find your way in spite of what's to come. Still, we all may be separated by the chaos. Look for me in the world to come. I can be your strength. When that time comes, I will tell you everything, including my true feelings." Moments later, they wished each other good luck and the world ended.

"No way," Isamu said, momentarily forgetting what he'd meant to do. "Play that last bit again." He watched it a few more times. There was no mistaking those words: their relationship was something special. More special than Isamu had with either of them? "Is... is that why he kept trying to dissuade me? Because he already had her? Dammit!"

After a moment, he realized that some characters under his hand were flickering, trying to get his attention. What they had to relate was very peculiar. The Amala Network believed there was zero chance of Ms. Takao and Naoki having a romantic relationship. Ms. Takao held firm morals on the subject and would never date a student (meaning his chances of being with her were also zero). And Naoki... was an asexual? So he had barely any interest in having a relationship.

"Man, that can't be real," Isamu said. "Nobody could not want sex, it's weird enough when it's gay. He's always been a nice guy and that sounds more like someone who was apathetic to everyone. That's unnatural, something weirdos claim to be different when they've got nothing."

The network disagreed, stating that it was a small portion of the population that existed. Well, one of the weirder things with Naoki was that he never flirted with girls (or anyone, really) and was not interested in porn. Isamu had always figured that he was just sticking to the image of a good guy and never hinting at what he was really interested in. That made sense of something he'd want to talk about. But why hadn't he? Isamu would've listened, weird as it was. Of course, if it hadn't been for the Amala drum's insistence, he wouldn't have believed it.

"Maybe I am a really bad friend," he said, then shook his head. "Nah, he's just repressed and this demonic infestation is turning him crazy. I never did anything wrong, never. I get shafted by everyone else no matter what I try."

What was even the point of being around other people? Isamu loved the thought of being popular. But the light of Kagutsuchi illuminated things in his mind. He never had a chance at being popular. While it was horribly unfair, he didn't have whatever it was that popular people had and he'd never get it. People just didn't care about him, didn't notice him.

Why did he have to notice or care about them anyhow? He thought he knew his best friend, but then it turned out that he had some weird orientation that Isamu hadn't thought possible. Naoki had even thought that their friendship was failing for a long time. It made the whole friendship worthless and he didn't need to care about that anymore.

In fact, why did anyone need to care? People constantly got in each other's way, causing each other problems. It counted for this process of Creation too. When he tried to work with Naoki, their ideas didn't do anything. When he tried to figure out what other people might like and praise him for, those ideas didn't do anything. Isamu knew what he would love in a world, but Kagutsuchi claimed it wouldn't work.

There were only a few people chosen for the process of making a new world, but did it really have to be that way? What if anybody could make their own world, just for themselves? Everyone would be happy, no one would get in another's way. The only limitations would be what the person themselves accepted. They would have anything they ever wanted without being troubled for it. The name of this Reason was...

"Musubi."


	18. Monk in Yellow and Wheels of Fire

The Ikebukuro terminal room was quiet. Naoki checked over it with his horn, finding the place clean and normal. Good, Isamu had moved elsewhere. Although, where was he now? Naoki wasn't sure what the blast from the Nightmare System would do to a human. He was sure that this place was a desert of magatsuhi now. Just in case, he took a moment to sense outside the door.

"We should be safe, the pull's not going to drain us now," he said to assure his followers.

"Still doesn't feel right here," Uzume said.

Out in the halls, there were a group of Mantra demons with Thor. "No seriously, what now?" an ikusa asked, still bewildered.

"Do what you like," Thor said. "The Mantra is done for and there's no point to defending a dead city."

"Shouldn't we be gathering up who's left and getting revenge?" an oni asked. "Most of us left the prison to join the battle, but there should still be some there."

"Against someone who can do this?" Thor said. "Sometimes it's better to wait for a prime moment to attack." Then he turned and came towards the terminal room. Their eyes met; Thor's face was hidden, but Naoki felt that he was frowning. "I hope you got what you were looking for."

"More or less," he said, feeling a bit of guilt over causing this. Then again, he'd only been temporary allies and didn't want to see Gozu-Tennoh succeed. "Hikawa slipped from our grasp, but we will destroy him and his absurd Reason."

That satisfied him for the moment. "Good." He then brushed past Arahabaki to enter the terminal room.

The other demons started grumbling to each other; Naoki ignored them and headed to the grand entrance. The torches were still burning. Overhead, a red glow lingered as what little magatsuhi left here continued to flow out. What about the manikin slaves held captive there? They'd be difficult to sense from this distance. On the other hand, he knew the Candelabrum of Eternity was beyond the door to the east. That could wait.

Inside the Mantra's former headquarters, the air felt parched. A lingering taste of death remained even though no bodies were in sight. There were a few remains of celebration around: broken mugs, spilled drinks, scattered cards. While it disturbed him, he had to keep in mind that these demons would have brought back human sacrifice as a normal thing. Nihilo was no good for any world, but neither was Mantra.

The cells were still locked when they arrived at the basement. But with the nue guard gone, Naoki found a control panel on its dais. It had switches to move the bars on each individual cell. While the switches were under locked cover, there was only one key dropped nearby and it worked for the whole panel. The manikins down here gathered at the doors, hanging back and whispering to each other. Like the others, they were wary but strangely in awe. They probably didn't expect someone to do this.

One of them was eventually brave enough to approach their group. "What happened?"

"The Assembly of Nihilo launched their Nightmare System and killed almost all of the Mantra demons by draining their magatsuhi," Naoki explained.

"See, it's just like he said," one of those holding back said. "Just like this guy."

"So, what do you mean to do with us?" their spokesman asked.

"Let you go to do what you like," Naoki said. "You can take what others of your kin are still here too, wherever they are. If you head south, you'll find a cemetery with an entrance to sewer tunnels; there's a group of manikins hiding out there."

"Really, you're not going to take us for your own?"

Unlocking the last switch, he shook his head. "Don't need to."

"Oh, thank you very much then," the spokesman said, giving him an awkward bow.

One of the female manikins came forward. "Um, if you don't mind, could we ask you to save our leader Futomimi?"

They had a leader? "Is he in a different cell here?" Naoki asked.

"No, he was taken to Kabukicho Prison along with most of our kin," she said. "See, he's a prophet. He even predicted the fall of Mantra just like this, that their lives would flow upward like water and even Gozu-Tennoh would die."

"That did happen." What kind of things could a prophet find out? He was most interested in getting a way to the Obelisk, but his own visions weren't something he could control. Perhaps Futomimi could, and would do the small favor of locating the Obelisk in exchange for freeing him and the other manikins.

"We don't have a chance to rescue him even with the Mantra gone," the spokesman for these manikins said. "But I remember hearing about you, that your group defeated Thor without trouble. You should be strong enough."

How complicated was this path to finding Yuko going to get? Whatever that answer was, he just needed to keep going. "All right. Do you know how we can reach Kabukicho?"

He was met with blank stares until a manikin came from the other hall of cells. "Um, I've seen them set out with groups on the raised highway outside of here. They've made a few trips out there and back, so the path from there should be clear."

"Sure, I'll see what I can do," Naoki said.

As they headed out of the headquarters, Sarutahiko asked, "Why'd you go and set those mud dolls free?"

Because they were struggling enough as it was and he may as well use his power to do some good no matter how small. But would they really understand? "Just because," he answered.

"There's no reason to do it or not," Matador said, not really caring. "Although if you do enough for little people like that, they might just start worshiping you."

"There, that's as good a reason as any," Naoki said, making his demons laugh. He felt sick at the idea; he was fine enough with their gratitude. "Be ready; we're going after the two fiends here since we're in the area."

"Hmm, do you wish me to fight by your side for this?" Matador asked. "Or should I go help keep an eye out for angels?"

He wanted to win this game of candelabrum, but then losing and getting captured by Michael again was something to avoid at all costs. "Go keep an eye out. I'll call you back if I need the extra strength."

"At your service," Matador said, giving a bow before he faded away.

"We're battling other fiends?" Sarutahiko asked, curious and interested.

"Of course, it's a competition among his clan," Arahabaki said with a chuckling echo. "We get the honor of participating as his followers."

Uzume nodded. "A battle like these are why Matador follows Demi's orders now. He'll win the right to command these other two when we defeat them."

The swordsman grinned and pumped a fist in the air. "Alright, sounds great!"

"Like before, we'll take this as normal," Naoki said, taking out the candelabrum. Tiny black embers hung on the wicks. "I just hope I don't die again." Although he fully expected to.

Following his senses and the candelabrum's guidance, they found their way into a darkened hall littered with debris. Naoki had to walk carefully to avoid the shattered glass around them. It looked like this used to be an office complex, full of tiny rooms with desks and fallen supplies. Somewhere in here, a bell occasionally chimed. It was an eerie thing in the otherwise silent place.

Right when they turned a corner to where the candelabrum led them, the bell sounded again. On a large crate shoved into a dead end, a skeleton wearing the golden robes of a monk was sitting patiently. The bell they'd been hearing was in one of his hands; another golden candelabrum was sitting beside him, its black flames reaching out towards his. Like Matador had thought, Daisoujou was perfectly fine in spite of the Nightmare System attack.

How did he start this challenge? The monk didn't move, but Naoki felt Daisoujou's attention move his way. After a moment of silence, the monk asked, "Are you afraid of death?" He rang his small bell.

Intense radiance filled his body and Naoki died.

* * *

Humans weren't supposed to die more than once in a lifetime; they were expecting Demifiend to die repeatedly here. "A dozen times, at least," Red Rider said.

"You think he's so stubborn?" White Rider asked.

Red nodded. "He clung to what remained of his identity long enough for us to escape the hold of Heaven. He's stubborn and this is an unnatural lesson for humans."

Pale Rider came back to their side. "Perhaps, but he's cautious too," he said. "I give him four times before he backs off to think things over."

"It won't be nearly enough to let go of a fear of death," White said. "And he could prove clever, finding a way around Hamaon and Mudoon. The monk really doesn't have a lot of powerful attacks; all it would take is discovering the usefulness of Tetraja."

"It would be nice if he loses his fear here and now so we don't have to resort to such cheap tactics," Pale said. "The more times he dies, the more chances we have to lose him." He nodded and immediately took off again to claim Demifiend's soul after another swift death.

"Four deaths in a row might not be enough for that," Red said, agreeing with White.

"Have either of you run into Trumpeter recently?" Black Rider asked, coming in from looking around. "He told me that he meant to be here for this."

"No, not since we parted to scout this world," White said.

"Not since before he fought Matador," Red said.

"Can't say that I've seen him," Matador said, keeping quiet as usual. They normally didn't get along, but the situation here was more important than personal conflicts.

Black tugged at his horse's mane. "Hmm. I overheard something, that there is a second trumpeter in this world currently."

"That would anger him," Red said. They didn't have Divine side counterparts to worry about, but Trumpeter did. Only Pale had angels of death to compare with and a good number of those had fallen as well.

"One would think we'd spot a Divine trumpeter if it's been here as long as we have," White said.

"I wonder if it's an apocalyptic trumpeter like him or just a regular one," Red said. If their enemy had sent that down into this Vortex World, things could get far more interesting.

Pale returned to them. "I hope not because even a small skirmish will increase the danger of this plan."

A familiar light filtered into the spiritual realm they were in. "Heads up, they're coming," Red said, drawing his sword.

"Trumpeter had better show up, that's quite a force," Black said, keeping his scales close to his chest.

With little warning, a blue figure stood among them. "We just need to defend against them, right?" Raziel asked.

While Red acknowledged that this outsider was a fierce warrior, he couldn't let himself trust the wraith too much. He wouldn't grasp the full gravity of the situation. "Of course, you helping?"

"Sure," Raziel said, choosing a point to make a stand from himself.

It didn't make up for not having Trumpeter here, but the extra help would be good. This was Lucifer's orders; they wouldn't hold back.

* * *

The sixth time Naoki came back to life, he felt like he could still hear the tremendous din. His skin tingled from the Mudoon as well. Holding a hand up to his demons, he took a deep breath and tried to keep his heart from racing. "We need to back off from this one."

"Another tough foe?" Uzume asked. The other two were disappointed.

"I don't know because he starts off with instant kill spells," Naoki said. Anathema protected him from Mudoon, but then made him more vulnerable to Hamaon. And since Daisoujou always asked if he was afraid of death, it didn't seem like a good plan to face him with Anathema in the fore. "More importantly, there's a messy conflict going on here between the angels and I think the four Riders. Matador too."

"They would be really intent on stopping you," Sarutahiko said quietly.

"Since they are distracted, we can slip out and try Hell Biker instead," Naoki said. "Pale Rider will follow me, he assured me of that. At least, I'm pretty sure it was that one."

Since Hell Biker was on the raised highway, they had to leave the underground area and head for the on-ramp. The dark asphalt felt odd on his bare feet, warmer than the sands. At least Kagutsuchi didn't put out heat as much as the sun, because this walk and battle might be painful otherwise. The roar of a motorcycle's engine could be heard, treading all over the native quiet of the Vortex World. This fiend would definitely be easy to find.

It wasn't long after they got on the highway itself that the motorcycle came their way. The smoke trailing behind it was tremendous, mostly due to the literally blazing wheels carrying a sparsely framed bike that nearly hugged the road. It spun into a stop near them, causing Naoki to cover his face from the smoke. Knocking a kickstand to the ground, Hell Biker got off his amazing bike and came over to them. He wore a leather jacket and helmet, looking like he'd be ready to brawl at a moment's notice.

"Hell yeah, good to see you kid!" Hell Biker called, coming over and slapping him on the shoulder.

Caught off-guard, Naoki made sure he kept facing this fiend. "Sure. You have the Candelabrum of Dignity."

He waved a gloved hand at that. "Yeah, yeah, but more important than that, I'm glad to have you along for our crazy games." He chuckled. "Our clan's got a bunch of old fogies formed from ancient fears or hatreds; even the supposedly newer guys like Matador and David grew out of old ideas. Now I'm emerged from a modern concept and you used to be human, but I like having another modern fiend around that isn't a frikkin nutcase like Chemtrail. You can be sure I've got your back no matter what happens."

"Thanks," Naoki said, not sure what to make of his friendliness. That did not seem that fiendish. Then again, if Hell Biker accepted him as a peer, it could be helpful in the future.

"You know how to ride a bike?" he asked.

"Yes, but I've never ridden any like that," he said. Even discounting the flaming wheels, that was not a style of bike he had seen in person. It was the kind that he would have never been able to afford, but it would be something of a dream to own.

Hell Biker tugged him over. "Well come on then, give her a whirl."

"Your bike?" Naoki asked. This was unexpected... but it would be so awesome, he couldn't pass up a chance like this.

"That's what I said," Hell Biker said. "Consider it my challenge for our game: if you can impress me on the bike, I won't even fight you over the candelabrum." He laughed. "Clever, huh? I've tried to get the apocalypse four to switch from horses to bikes, but they won't hear of it! You're the only fiend who's got a chance at Dignity."

Did that mean if he failed to impress Hell Biker, then he'd lose Sovereignty? Even so, he couldn't say no to this. "Nice, I'll take you up on that."

His demons would wait on him (although Arahabaki was already wandering off to get away from the two sweethearts). Hell Biker got on the bike behind Naoki and made sure he knew the layout of the gauges and gears. Switching Shiranui to the fore to resist the flames and heat, he set off down the road. This low bike had a much different feel and balance than the motorcycle he had owned. Then again, that had been a simple bike his parents had gotten him, just something to get from here to there. This bike made him feel like he could own the road, whether cruising along lazily or blazing ahead.

After a few passes up and down the raised highway, Hell Biker tapped his shoulder as he turned the bike around. "You do well enough for an ordinary ride, but I'm sure you know this one isn't ordinary at all. If you really have the knack, this bike will take roads where there are none. Ordinary human reflexes can't handle that. But those little parasites in your soul, they can handle it. They can never lie to you since they're made purely for your benefit. You should have enough of them to go wherever you like, make this a world without limits."

"Even to the Obelisk?" Naoki asked. If that was true, then he didn't need to find a path. He could make one.

"Of course, that place has some crazy power to it," Hell Biker said. "There's loads of cliffs and voids in the way, no surface road directly there. You think you have it in you?"

Sure, that's no problem. Just listen to us and you'll get anywhere you want.

I have given you something that could vault you far beyond what you could have been otherwise. It's up to you how far you go.

This wasn't the time to be thinking of what he shouldn't do, but what he could. He was still in control of himself. Gripping the handlebars tighter to ready himself, Naoki nodded. "Yeah, I got it."

"Good, cause you're on your own now," Hell Biker said. He vanished for a moment, then pulled up next to him on an identical bike. Giving a wave of his hand, he was ready to go whenever Naoki did.

Find a mental place like that large battle in the Kalpa. The eleven magatama could fit into his thoughts easily; they always could, but he'd been barring them out. But this was a challenge where he needed them. He needed to win this game if he was going to go after the chance to rescue his family from the angels. More immediately, he could finish his tasks here much quicker if he could keep this bike. He could not fail.

Naoki sped down the highway, followed closely by Hell Biker. It curled down the sands towards a valley full of cursed ground. Don't worry about that, it couldn't touch them on the bikes. Past the valley, there was a large expanse of landless void that made up the gap to the Ginza area. He needed to be going faster, as fast as he could. And there was a small patch of land rising up before the void; Naoki hit that and the bike flew into the air.

While it wasn't quite enough to bridge the whole gap, the bike was equipped for such issues. Pulling a handlebar switch that wasn't on normal bikes caused the fiery wheels to flare up and act as though they were their own road. Sand erupted around them when the two bikes hit ground. Now, where was the Obelisk in the Vortex World?

His magatama immediately gave him the answer, as well as the route he needed to take to get there. The Obelisk was a structure that didn't look like it belonged in Tokyo. Made of strange black stone that shone with magatsuhi, it stretched up as if it wanted to meet Kagutsuchi. There were no apparent defense mechanisms outside to keep people from entering, aside from how tough this area was to reach. From the patches of human civilization here, there might be an underground train tunnel or something from another area.

Hell Biker whirled around him when Naoki stopped, coming close enough to give him a hi-five. "Nicely done!" the skeleton said over the two engines. He waved his hand and made a golden candelabrum appear. "Then I'll accept you as the victor of my challenge. You can keep that bike too; it'll come and go as any other item you store." Hell Biker lightly punched his shoulder. "I am the Fiend Hell Biker, I will ride with you anywhere!"

The way you've done contracts so far is workable, but now that you know your formal name, there is a contract specifically for you.

He had been trying to grasp who he had been, but using this would mean acknowledging what he was. But in this Vortex World, it could work. "I am the Demifiend, I'll use your power well."

Throwing his head back, Hell Biker laughed boisterously. "We expect nothing less of you. Then you have business here? You could use a spell to summon your followers to you immediately, but I have never used any."

That might be something to ask Yuriko about, but he needed two candelabrum to reach the next Kalpa, presumably where she would be waiting. "I do have some business to finish around Ikebukuro first," Naoki said, then thought of something. "Actually, there is something you could help me with. I don't know if I can manage it myself, but I have a feeling you can."

* * *

"You are pure beauty and charm, from tip," he poked at the tip of her nose, "to toe. Everyone should recognize that."

Uzume giggled. "You got all the charm and power I could ever ask for, darling."

"You two are being way too cute, cut back on that," Arahabaki said as he drifted by.

She was in such a good mood that she didn't care what he said. "Regretting the move from a cute girl to a clay figure?"

"No, I get to help Demi be more badass by showing him how," he said.

"He's doing well on his own," Sarutahiko said, looking off down the highway where Demi and Hell Biker had disappeared. He frowned for a moment.

"What's the matter?" Uzume asked. She already had an arm around his shoulder, so she put her head near his. "You never had a normal contract? At least this waiting is better than being stuck in a computer."

He shook his head. "It's not that. I was just wondering about something."

Before she could ask him to explain, Demi returned to them with a plan that promised some fun.

* * *

When would he come back? Daisoujou was patient; he would wait here as long as necessary. The conditions of his challenge were simple. If Demifiend entered his battle with any hesitancy or fear of death, then Daisoujou was to kill him off immediately. Enough deaths should jar him out of a human mindset. That is, if he was worthy of being the Demifiend. If Demifiend entered his battle with confidence, then Daisoujou was to battle him normally without using instant kill spells. A worthy candidate should have no trouble defeating him that way.

The sound of a motorcycle faintly entered his hearing. Beyond normal hearing, he could tell that the battle between the other fiends and the angels was dying off. The latter were retreating with their ragged forces. They must have been sent as a sacrificial distraction so the Seraph Michael had another shot at Demifiend's soul. Maybe they realized the boy was no longer around.

The sound of glass exploding as a motorcycle burst into the building reached him. Daisoujou rang his bell, wondering what Hell Biker was up to now. From the sound of it, he was actually driving through the halls. Such a reckless youth. Flickers of firelight appeared on the walls.

In the next moment, the motorcycle barreled into his little dead end and smashed right into his crate to stop. Daisoujou briefly saw the Demifiend as he jumped off the bike; what fear he had was reasonable and his confidence was far greater than previous attempts. Then he got thrown down the dead end towards the main hall. While that initial ambush was highly damaging, Daisoujou didn't let that ruffle him. He corrected his poise so that he would come to a stop sitting upright, before he slammed into anything else.

An arahabaki crashed into him, quickly followed by an expertly placed sword strike. And he died. It was marvelous coordination. Daisoujou had known Demifiend had those followers, but they'd still slipped beneath his notice because their leader was not with them. While his fear of death hadn't been totally discarded, he felt that Lucifer would approve of this method of winning.

When Daisoujou gathered himself enough to appear in spirit, Demifiend had already retrieved the Candelabrum of Eternity from the new pile of rubble. "You have done well," Daisoujou said. "And excellent timing as well; things have quieted down."

Demifiend raised an eyebrow at that. "You kept asking if I was afraid of death, but you all seem afraid of me dying and getting lost to the angels."

"More the latter than the former," he admitted. "It would be a pity to see you succumb to them."

"Or to lose what you all have already invested in me?" he asked. This one was very sharp.

Daisoujou rang his bell in lieu of a response to that. "In recognition of your superior strategy, Eternity is now yours, as well as myself. I am the Fiend Daisoujou; allow me perform your funeral for you."

To his credit, he didn't outwardly show a human reaction to that. "I am the Demifiend, I'll use your power well."

Behind Demifiend, Hell Biker tapped his cheekbone and stuck up his thumb. Even if he was old, Daisoujou understood the signal. They'd snared him just as planned. "Excellent."

* * *

Naoki's next goal was Kabukicho Prison, in order to keep his word to the manikins. But now that he had the two candelabrum, it made sense to go back into the labyrinth and see if Yuriko would teach him how to call his contracted demons to him no matter where he ended up. And before even that, Sarutahiko had a suggestion for him. "I'd like you to fuse me and Uzume together."

"Really?" Uzume asked, her expression bright.

That was a weird expression of love. "You sure about that?" Naoki asked.

Sarutahiko nodded. "Absolutely, I'd love to be a greater part of her."

Nodding enthusiastically, Uzume added, "It'll be great, I'm sure!"

Recalling that Hua Po had said the same kind of thing for fusing with Zhen, which led to Arahabaki here, Naoki was inclined to believe them. "All right, there's one right here."

"Thank goodness, I was hoping for that," Arahabaki said.

But as they were heading to the terminal area of Ikebukuro, Naoki sensed something different: there was a human there. About his age, a girl; hoping this would go better than things had with Isamu recently, Naoki walked over there quicker to catch her. "Chiaki, good to see you again."

"Hello Naoki," she said, smiling as she came over with her guardian Persephone. It didn't last long as she glanced at the others with him. "Um, interesting crowd you have with you." She didn't sound that interested.

While Hell Biker had vanished off to return to the highway until called, Daisoujou was hovering along after his other demons. "They're under my command," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Actually, I was looking for you," she said, pushing her hair back. "I made it all the way to Asakusa before coming here, since I wanted to ask you something about this cathedral place here."

What for? Only the one demon seemed to be with her. "I was just about to go in there. Want to come along?"

"Sure, that should work."

The minister here had the same kind of look and scent as the one in Ginza. Perhaps it was part of their organization. While the minister checked over his palms to make sure the fusion would be successful, Naoki visualized the demon that would result: Lady Kushinada. She excelled in magic and luck, with varied support skills and potential to pick up Agi-type spells. Her basic healing spell was far better than what Uzume had currently, although Daisoujou outclassed them both for healing. Still, the fiends came and went if he didn't specify what he wanted them to do. Having a healer who'd definitely stick by his side was good. He was limited on how many skills he could pass on to her, so he chose Sarutahiko's Tarukaja and Uzume's Mazio and Mazan.

An elegant lady came out of the fusion, although she definitely wasn't human because of her blue skin and faintly glowing green eyes. "I am the Lady Kushinada, it's a pleasure to serve at your side."

After nodding to her, Naoki turned to Chiaki. "So what did you want?"

"I want to be fused with Persephone so I'm not so helpless wandering around in this world," she said.

She was choosing to be half-demon? "What?" he asked in disbelief.

"We need someone to claim responsibility and observe her in case something goes wrong," the minister said. "Such a fusion is more unpredictable than usual."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Naoki said.

She tried to look calm, but he could taste the anger at his refusal. "Why not? You must know how rough this world can be. We need everything we can get to keep going."

"She should be able to protect you as long as you keep close and know her weaknesses," he said.

"I need to be able to do more than just keep safe," Chiaki insisted. "I need to personify my chosen Reason of Yosuga so that the demons don't doubt in me."

"Your Reason," Naoki said, feeling a familiar sensation from his horn. He didn't slip into a trance, but he knew one would come. "Let's go somewhere else and discuss this."


	19. What Was, What Is, What Could Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It's my birthday, so I'm doing a bonus update and you can't stop me! Bwah-hah-hah! Also, I'm making plans for NaNoWriMo this November to work on something else SMT related (IV specifically). I have a couple things I'd like to figure out about it with other fans, so let me know if you wanna help.

For some reason, Naoki wanted the demons out of this conversation. That was fine by Chiaki; Persephone was a proper servant who kept quiet if others were around. They went for a shop that demons hadn't squatted in yet. As it was selling office supplies, there wasn't anything interesting to look at. "Why don't you want me to do this fusion? Nobody around takes me seriously because I don't have power."

"Are you really sure you want this?" he asked. "I'm sure it would give you power and her fighting ability, but then you'd be taking on a demon's limitations too."

"What's the issue with that? This is a world where demons are everywhere, so it wouldn't limit me." She didn't fully understand it all, but it just made sense that it'd be better.

He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well that is true, but, it's hard to put in words even though I've seen it. I'm still divided mentally due to the parasites; it could take me a while yet to really make this work. And demons have," he put his hands together, forming a square between his fingers, "like a personality frame. They can't think outside the box. I'm better off since the magatama were designed to not frame me, but there's no telling if you'll become limited due to the fusion."

"Doesn't everyone have that kind of frame they won't step out of?" Chiaki asked. "Once you know someone is a jerk, you know they'll always be a jerk. It's like how Isamu's always going to be a childish wastrel because he never sees his own mistakes."

"He can still change," Naoki said in his defense. "People, I mean, humans can change themselves. Like my aunt, she used to be a delinquent in school but then her husband inspired her to change her ways. Demons can't do that except through changing their frames totally like how I just fused Kushinada. I know already that she's going to be more modest that she was as Uzume, and less of a potential prankster like she was even before that. But that's my doing, letting her change. She can't change herself."

She shook her head. People never changed even if they claimed to, she'd seen that herself when a her uncle claimed to be a reformed addict only to die of a drug overdose. However, Naoki's issue was that he was too forgiving and optimistic; he wasn't changing from that. "I don't think that will matter because she's totally bland and I can override anything she adds easily. Now that I have a Reason to offer, I have to be gathering magatsuhi to call a god. Getting demons to ally with me will make sure my Reason succeeds. But I need strength the demons can understand to convince them; they'd make fun of me or try to control me otherwise."

"I really don't think fusing yourself with a demon is going to be enough," he said. Which was preposterous; he should know the advantages he had now and be happy to help her get the same. "What kind of Reason do you have that would ask for that?"

"I guess it's not strictly necessary, but it would help me enforce my point," Chiaki admitted. "I've been thinking it all over ever since we last spoke, about what would make a better world. I was upset over the loss of our world; it was an incredible sadness that I didn't think possible. But then while I was walking across the sands here, I realized that there had been too many things in the world."

"Too many things?" he asked, seeming baffled.

She gestured to the stacks of papers, folders, and pencils around them. "All this stuff that weighs people down and distracts them. And not just things, people and organizations too. There were over six billion people in the world, most of them not really contributing anything. People would complain about things that needed to be done, but then all the processes to be done and committees to be consulted took forever to actually do things. By then the old problem is mostly forgotten and people are complaining about something else that'll take months to sort out. Like when everyone raised a fuss over the bridge needing repairs. By the time it got done, hardly anyone said anything about it."

"You can't just solve major problems instantly," he said. "That kind of thinking sounds dangerous."

"No it's not, it's the only thing that makes sense." She gestured upward since there weren't any windows in this underground store. "I didn't want to admit to all that, but there's something about this Vortex World that makes things a lot clearer. I came to realize that's because there's no useless distractions getting in my way. When it's quiet and Kagutsuchi is really bright, I see my way a lot better."

"The bright Kagutsuchi gives me weird thoughts, more on my demonic side," Naoki said.

"Well maybe you just haven't accepted that time as when your mind is most clear," Chiaki said. "That's how it is for me. Anyhow, I know in my own life that I was being dragged down by a lot of weight: my family's past and reputation, all the expectations I had to meet with, all the ugly-minded little people who put me down. And I felt, the world must have been the same way, dragged down by all this weight of weak needy people who are confused and distracted by everything human society held. The world was sick, held back from what it truly needed to thrive.

"So I thought, why don't we just get rid of all the worthless things? The world needs a society of the strong, the beautiful, the intelligent, the just. Instead of trying to keep everyone supported no matter what weaknesses or defects they have, we could just keep the best people around, those who are truly strong. When those people are not held back by the weak, they can make the world even greater. Problems wouldn't linger around and build up because they could be solved the moment they're noticed. That's what Yosuga is, and that's why I can't show any weakness myself."

"I don't like that idea," he said.

She should have figured that he'd be a hard one to sell this idea to. "Why not? It makes perfect sense."

"It validates what Hikawa did in destroying our world," Naoki pointed out.

"Well..." she hadn't realized it herself, but he could be given that point. As much as she didn't want to admit it, maybe that guy was right in the end. Everything else could be sacrificed for a better world... even her humanity.

"And someone like me would be left out of this world of the strong and beautiful," he said.

"No you wouldn't," she said. Why would he think he'd be excluded from a world she created? "You're strong, and..."

"Maybe I'm strong now, but not before," he said, seeming angered. "You're talking about a world where only the best survive and I wasn't like that. Besides, what about kids? If your world is going to only keep the strong, then children would be considered a burden because they're weak for years and need all that time to develop."

"Well, I'm sure that can be accounted for," Chiaki sad, putting a hand on her forehead. That was a flaw she'd missed, something that didn't sit right with her. But it could be addressed, right? "The children of the strong would be strong themselves, and they could be protected until they could stand on their own, just like before. And you wouldn't be left out, you..." what would he have been kept around for before all this happened?

"I would have been left out," Naoki said, closing his eyes.

He was right, she realized. He didn't have the grades to be considered a top student, he'd never been strong or fast enough to last on a sports team, and he hadn't exactly been striking in appearance like he was now. There had been nothing he'd excelled at enough to make the cut for Yosuga. "Well does it matter now what was?" Chiaki said. "As you are now, I'm sure you'll be admired and respected if you work with me for my Reason. I need to make sure the demons respect me too."

He didn't say anything, didn't even look at her. It was like he'd dozed off all of a sudden. Was she boring him somehow?

"Naoki!" Chiaki said sharply. "Are you ignoring me now?"

No response.

"Why don't you forget about the past and think of the future?" she said. "We can finally have a world we deserve rather than deal with the one we were given! But you can't trust Isamu with that kind of responsibility. I don't want to put up with things now, I want to be recognized as a great person! I'll do what it takes to make my goal, no matter what it is."

When Naoki didn't respond, Chiaki stormed out of the room. Now what? She should probably focus on getting a god to back her cause and that meant figuring out how to get enough magatsuhi for that. Was there somewhere in the Vortex World that she could study normally, without touching those weird terminals?

She meant to go back outside to think, but Persephone held a hand out to her. "Master Chiaki? The minister wanted to talk to you."

Should she really deal with that? He'd probably tell her no too. But just in case, she nodded. "All right, let's see what he has to say for himself."

Inside the cathedral, the minister was waiting for her. "Did your friend give you permission for the fusion?"

"No," she said. Unless something major happened, she didn't think he would change his mind. Naoki should have understood her plans; he'd listened to her before and saw problems that she did. Was it just because he'd be left out? She didn't meant to do that to him.

"Even if he didn't, we have received permission to go ahead with this," he said. "Hikawa said that he would sponsor you."

He... Hikawa did? What sense did that make? Weren't they automatic competitors as they'd not known each other before being chosen for Creation? "How did he find out?" Chiaki asked.

The minister shrugged. "I am not certain, but I do know he has a sharp eye for opportunities. He came to speak with me about summoning a new demon and mentioned that he'd take responsibility for you."

Maybe he meant to put her in his debt. However, she wasn't going to let him take advantage of her like that. She'd become strong enough that she wouldn't owe anyone anything. "I see. Good, then will you fuse me and Persephone now?"

Gesturing to the pillars, the minister said, "Yes. I will take extra care with this, but please understand that this kind of fusion has a higher rate of failure than normal."

"I can take that risk, come on Persephone," Chiaki said, going up the steps. The maid simply followed her into place.

"I pray that this is successful," the minister said, facing them before going into a strange chant.

As he did, things started getting fuzzy. Chiaki clenched her fists and resolved to be strong through this. If she'd just had more power in the past, power of any kind, maybe she would have been respected instead of resented. That would change. She'd get Hikawa to acknowledge her power if he tried to question her; she'd get Naoki to admit that she was right and embarrass Isamu for all the thoughtless things he said and did. Ms. Takao would fully respect her. No one would get in her way anymore.

Her exterior didn't change, not like Naoki had. But she could feel herself changing within. Her muscles got stronger, her limbs became those of an experienced martial artist. Lots of new knowledge entered her head as well, the things that Persephone had meant to teach her once she asked for the information. Persephone herself willingly submitted to Chiaki, becoming nothing more than a spirit to empower her. This would make so much more possible.

Outside of the cathedral, she found that Naoki's demons were gone. Too bad, she would have liked to show him how much better off she was. There were thoughts in her mind that if she wanted to study Creation in more depth without terminals, the best place was the Center for Supernatural Research near the Diet Building.

"I wonder why they never told us how demons and such existed if they had a place like that around," Chiaki said. "Whatever, the old world no longer matters. I'll make sure Kagutsuchi is most pleased with me."

She had to use a terminal to get there, but she could find things out on her own.

* * *

_Kashima Naoki, see what the future may bring_.

Children were valuable even if they were vulnerable. To keep them safe and educate them properly, they were kept within a fortress of a school. Classes were competitive with favor going to those who kept themselves at the top. It didn't matter what: sports, popularity, knowledge, even style. Whoever was acknowledged as great would advance and whoever was dismissed as inadequate was evicted to become a servant. They might even be killed if they were awful enough.

Today was graduation day, being held at the monastery that guarded the school and provided its teachers. The year that these students had been brought in had sixty-one infants to begin with. There were only three graduates. Throughout their school career, they had been acknowledged as strong, admirable, and beautiful. Sometimes they found themselves in fierce competition with other students; those students were now nameless servants or dead. All three graduates knew that no mercy could be given to competitors or the world would suffer from the existence of weak beings. They were fit for the glory of the Lady.

But the abbess who gave the graduation speech had a warning for them. "While you are greatly honored for graduating, you should know that you will enter society in a low caste. You are youths who have been protected your whole lives up to this point and now you must face the trials of the world. But as long as you remember the lessons you have learned here and continue your exemplary efforts, you should be able to advance to the caste you truly deserve. All people will be granted what they have earned fairly. Be vigilant and keep your faith for the most holy Creator who has allowed our world to thrive as it does."

With those words, the three youths went out into the world to establish their new lives. It would be brutal; a single misstep might take years to recover from if it didn't outright kill. But they would earn exactly what they deserved, as they always had. The city before them was bright and shining, kept clean and perfect by the many nameless servants who did all the unworthy tasks that such low beings lived for.

"This world is only for the strong. One can be strong in many ways and ought to be acknowledged for it. For those that are weak, they are not worthy of being acknowledged as human. They must serve the strong. This world is as it should be, not about to fail in any way."

_Will you allow this world to come about?_

"Not a chance," Naoki said to himself. He'd not gotten a good look into it, but that school was nightmarish if murder was an acceptable means of advancing. And their society was even stricter. Was there still time to change it if he convinced Chiaki that Yosuga had faults? It might be better to not let it come about at all, just like the Shijima world. He had to put his hopes to Isamu and Yuko to come up with more reasonable Reasons.

But as his awareness came back, he realized that she'd gone. Naoki shook his head, then left the room. "That girl was really mad when she left," Arahabaki said, hovering near the door.

"She probably thought I was ignoring her when I didn't have a choice," Naoki said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Come on, we're making a quick stop in the labyrinth."

in the labyrinth, the hall after the terminal room now had a door that somehow led down to the second pedestal room. He did the same as before: place the two candelabrum on their stands and light them. However, the light that surrounded them was more powerful than eighteen candles could account for. It had a dappled radiance... wait, that was bad.

_Kashima Naoki..._

"Huh?" This again, so soon? It didn't feel right, though. It felt like the radiance was growing stronger, eclipsing the muted Amala Labyrinth.

_Be careful. This is what is and what could be._

"Naoki!" Light laughter and small footsteps came after him in what seemed like a realm of white. "Big brother, will you play with us?"

Momentarily forgetting his unease, he smiled and turned to greet them. "Sure," his throat tensed. His mind came across another wreckage of memory: his cousins' names. They were... they were two little girls and a very young boy, he could shift out that much. Looking down at them, they were flowing sketches with the faint hints of color. He couldn't make out their faces, but his heart knew it was them.

"We were waiting by the river, but then the big silver guy said we could come see you, just us," one of the girls said, excitedly. She reached out to take his hand.

This time, he could accept her hand. But it felt so wrong; he was fighting with and against demons, trying to get stronger for the forces of hell. He wouldn't want himself around his cousins, and he definitely didn't want them down here. "The big silver guy?"

"Yeah, a great big angel!" the other girl said. "He's awesome!"

"He's toying with you, I'll have you know," someone with a strange voice said. A dark figure approached them through the radiant light; blue lines shimmered along black markings on an otherwise human shape. A familiar one too, as it was himself. "But it's just as well. Naoki, you need to destroy all ties with your human life as I have. You need to become me: the Demifiend."

A red glint appeared in his hand; that was a potent physical skill that would hit all of them, one his cousins had no chance against. "Don't you dare," Naoki said, moving ahead to defend them without thinking.

The glint turned into a magic blade; the Demifiend was purposely going slow. "You really think you can do something against me? Try something, I dare you."

What could be done? He could hear one of the kids crying behind him out of fear; the other two were on the verge of the same. There was something, an item he'd picked up in the First Kalpa. Naoki called out an Attack Mirror and activated it right as the Demifiend swung his blade down and sent a wave of dark red energy at them. As it rebounded off the mirror, he could feel immense power in the skill. It would have killed him outright. The Demifiend was struck by all four reflected attacks. While he grunted in pain, he was still standing and could attack again before Naoki had a chance to do anything else.

Then something was fired, a golden arrow racing over his head. It struck the other Demifiend and consumed him in radiant fire. He died with a torturous scream, losing all color and crumbling away into a pile of salt. Behind him, there was a being of intense radiance, even more than the shepherd who tried to purify him. His cousins were even more horrified now and Naoki didn't think the radiant being was any less of a threat to them.

It spoke in a crushing tone, its words bearing immense weight. "Do you understand where the path you are taking will lead you? Lost soul, leave this place and never return. The very act of lighting these candelabrum is a sin against your Creator. Leave off your dealings with the fallen angel."

"Naoki, why do you look like the scary guy now?" the young boy asked, fearful but still wanting to believe in him.

It might be because he was filled with an intense hatred right now. The light lost some strength close to him, although it was still powerful around the massive silver presence with them. "Why did you have to get my cousins involved?!" Naoki yelled at the angel. "You think I would listen to you after you put them in danger like this? No, I won't stop what I'm doing and now there's nothing you can do to stop me!" He cast Shock at it, ready to stand up to whatever this was for using his cousins.

The Shock barely did anything; it didn't even leave a mark on the white and gold robes. The radiant angel responded by backhanding him, hurling him several feet back and killing him on the spot. On being released from his body again, the radiance intensified to an unbearable level. "If that is your choice, then we must annihilate you before your soul grows any darker."

What about his cousins? Were they going to be safe? Naoki could barely see them now. He tried with all his might to resist the radiance, even as it suffocated him. As his mind got hazy, he tried to think of something to do, anything. A pink bubble surrounded the souls of his cousins, nearly distracting him enough that the light could break through.

Everything was suddenly inverted: the radiance, the colors, the temperature. Black energy impaled the overbearing overbearing angel everywhere. A small hand got hold of him; this wasn't someone who needed protecting. "You won't be destroying him on my grounds," the blond child said.

"We will not let you win," the silver angel said, its voice faltering in pain. It departed with those words, leaving behind the soft candlelit glow of the labyrinth.

Lucifer waved a hand towards the now-red shield, breaking it. The three kids came running over. "Naoki, what was that?" the oldest asked in a fright.

Taking the two younger ones in his arms, Naoki didn't know what to say. It was bad enough that he was being toyed with, but bringing these three right in the middle of it all was unforgivable. And yet, that monstrous version of himself that was willing to destroy their souls was just as horrible.

Lucifer knew what to say. "It was a nightmare you were tricked by. But it's gone now." The blond child with ancient eyes looked right at Naoki. "Although, I can't return these three to heaven. I am forbidden from returning there."

"I wouldn't want to return them to..." he didn't want to say they were angels to them, "...those people."

"But the Amala Labyrinth is no place for the innocent souls of children," Lucifer added. "It would be cruel to even let them into the Vortex World. What I can do is send them off peacefully, in accordance to the Great Will. They will be able to move on to another life, out of reach of angel or demon." He tilted his head some, looking aside. "And if it is your will to remake your world, they will also be restored to how they were. I can promise you that."

There wasn't anything Naoki could do to protect them either. Was it right for him to decide on the fate of their souls like this? Whether it was or not, he had to agree with what Lucifer said. The world he existed in was too dangerous for them. "All right, thank you."

"What's he gonna do?" the older girl asked, leaning on Naoki's shoulder.

"You'll be fine, don't worry," he said to reassure her.

Nodding, Lucifer came closer. "Yes, it'll be nothing more than going to sleep for you."

"Naoki?" the younger girl asked, uncertain and looking to him.

"You'll be fine," he repeated. "Just relax and nothing scary will happen."

They trusted his word. And Naoki felt like he could trust Lucifer's word in this; he had protected them in the conflict. The blond child closed his eyes, perhaps to spare them from the intensity of his gaze. "Sleep well, innocent ones, return to the love of the Great Will."

A soft power like candlelight passed by them, causing the three children to close their eyes and fade away into small white spirits. The three brushed against Naoki's soul briefly before flying off to some distant realm like someone had called them away. While it hurt to let them go, it was like accepting his grandfather's death. They were beyond suffering now.

"I never meant to intervene myself like this," Lucifer said, opening his eyes again. "But then we never expected them to intercept you within the Abyss."

"Someone spoke to me right after I lit the candles," Naoki said. "Not the angel, someone else."

"I wasn't aware of such contact," he said, openly concerned now instead of stoically calm.

"They've spoken to me before, showing me what the future of the new world could be," he explained. "They did warn me to be careful before this happened."

"If they're a threat to you before you can defend yourself, I will defeat them too," Lucifer said. The hostility under his words wasn't something Naoki would want to face himself.

"Protecting your investment or do you really care about me?" Naoki asked.

Lucifer just smiled at that. "Think of it what you will. Let's get you back to the world of the living. You have things to do, don't you?" He waved a hand in front of Naoki's eyes.

For a moment, it felt like he was falling gently. He landed back in his body, curled up on a chair with checkered upholstery. Naoki sat up and found himself in that parlor with the one wall covered in red curtains. Although, these were different chairs. And there was a table now, with an English tea set arranged around a vase holding little foxglove blooms.

Yuriko picked up the tea pot on seeing that he was awake. "Good, you've come back," she said. "Have some of this tea, it will help you recover."

"Sure," he said, accepting the cup once she'd poured the tea. There was something extra in this tea, a flavor he couldn't identify.

It's an herb that specifically helps demons. Don't worry, we'll keep it from harming what's human of you.

Naoki did worry for a brief moment. But he felt he could trust the magatama to that. Anything that would hurt him would hurt them too, especially something ingested.

"What happened this time?" Kushinada asked, sitting in a third chair with her own cup of tea. Like last time, Arahabaki hovered nearby. "It was the same thing that happened in the underpass."

"The same thing, basically," he said. "Except this was a far more powerful angel, one who could take me even before I died."

Yuriko nodded. "That was Metatron, also known as the Voice of God. The seraphs, including Michael who has been stalking you after death, are often left to act on their own in the name of their Lord. It's like how the fiends act on their own but can be commanded by our Master. Both clans have unusually high wills to be independent, although both are still less than humans in that regard. However, Metatron is a direct agent of the Creator god. He has no will but God's."

"Then he's going to come after me again?" Naoki asked. There was no way he could match Metatron now, possibly no way he could hide once the angel found him.

"Only within the Labyrinth, unfortunately," she said. "They must abide by the laws of a Vortex World. While you are not fully human, you are human enough that the higher ranks of angels are forbidden to kill you outright except on behalf of one of the Reason bearers. They've been getting around this by having the lesser angels attempt to kill you and then stealing your soul. But now that we're aware of Metatron's interference, we will do what we can to block his way."

"I just hope I die less often," Naoki said.

Yuriko chuckled at that. "That would be nice. Since we are speaking of the Vortex World already, how about I teach you a few things about the life cycles of worlds?"

About why this whole Conception event could happen? "Sure."

After setting her cup down, she made a blue orb appear over her hand. "You may have already realized this, but Kagutsuchi is the light of Creation. It is something whose sole purpose is to empower a human for the act of creation; it enforces the steps of the process, makes sure there is a healthy competition so the strongest Reason wins out, and judges those who participate. It only appears upon the death of a world to bring it here, to a universe which cultivates embryonic worlds.

"At any one time, there are millions or even billions of worlds within the Amala Universe. Kagutsuchi watches over all. Think about your world: what was, what is, what could be. In other worlds, what those are are vastly different. Some worlds are remarkably like yours, only deviating because of a single choice. Most choices do not matter on a large scale, but some can lead to completely different futures. But Kagutsuchi cares not for what makes the worlds unique. It watches over this cycle of death and rebirth to make sure it is carried out according to plan."

"Whose plan?" Naoki asked.

"That is difficult to say," Yuriko said. "It seems uncharacteristic of the Great Will to continually throw out worlds on small faults and remake them. People are born, live out their lives, and die to enter a new life. That is a cycle of reincarnation that is easy to accept, but for entire worlds to undergo this cycle? My master and I have been watching many worlds within this system, searching for an answer to this problem.

"There are some worlds that are so sick and far gone that the Amala Universe is their only salvation. You have met our outsider ally Raziel, correct? His home world is basically at that state, needing drastic measures to recover. But even he has been hesitant to allow his world to come here; he would have to explain any more if he so wishes.

"Once a world has been called to this place, it can be returned at any point, through the ceremony of Conception or other means. The Amala drums will bring them back. Even so, Conception is not natural. It is a deliberate killing of the world such as what your world experienced. Anyone who can clear the basic qualification of summoning an Amala drum can trigger it. While we cannot say for certain why this system exists, we have high hopes that you can do something about it."

"What would I be able to do about something like that?" Naoki asked. Power alone didn't seem like something that could deal with a twisted system of rebirth like this.

She shrugged at that. "We haven't been able to counter the system by undoing it within its rules. So perhaps someone who can exist outside its rules, someone it cannot expect, can actually do something to affect the Amala Universe on a grand scale."

Naoki shook his head. "They already expect me. Hikawa told me that the book he used to learn of Conception talked about the Demifiend."

"They don't understand you completely," Yuriko said. "All they could write about you was observations of our movements and theories of your power. You still have a chance. Although if you decline, we may be running short on such chances."

If the worlds of the Amala Universe could be separated by significant choices... and if the Demifiend was some power that could break out of the Amala's rules... "That guy I encountered was an earlier version of me, wasn't he?" Naoki asked.

She didn't answer for a moment. "Yes, one who failed to be effective."

"Metatron may have called on him to scare me off, both in how the other Demifiend acted and how the angel completely wiped him out."

"That might be," Yuriko admitted.

"What happened to him?" he asked. If that version was willing to kill off his own cousins, he should have been willing to wreak havoc within the Amala Universe.

"I am not aware of that myself," she said. From her very mild emotions, that might be the truth. "We can leave other discussions for next time. Was there something you had to ask me?"

"Right, I wanted to know of a means to call my followers to me if we get separated."

"That's a simple act, not even enough to call a spell." She instructed him in that, then sent him back to when he'd come into the labyrinth.

* * *

"My lord?"

I don't want to be disturbed; I need to find out how Metatron got into my labyrinth so easily to attack Naoki directly. This plan is not much good if that danger is added to this place. However, Trumpeter is uncharacteristically flustered, his feet tapping against each other. "What is it?"

"That Divine Trumpeter we've been hearing rumors about? She's brought an apocalyptic trumpet with her."

That... that could seriously change matters. Trumpeter would know the instrument better than anyone. "They've been bending rules, yes, but that's going too far. Kagutsuchi would not be pleased." They would have to change the very nature of this particular Vortex World to allow for that sort of conflict. It's been part of what makes them ideal training grounds for my Demifiend. He won't have to face the full brunt of the angelic army here.

"And yet she's supposed to be the Divine Messenger," Trumpeter says.

It is strange. "Keep an eye on her. I need to deal with matters here before he comes back to challenge the Second Kalpa."

We said that he may be one of our last chances, but with all that's going on, he might just be our last chance entirely.


	20. Prison of Illusions

The first thing that struck Naoki on arriving at Kabukicho Prison was that it was a school he had attended. The entry hall was eerily familiar, made alien with the stark blue light of Kagutsuchi pouring through the windows. Broken desks and chairs were scattered all over the floor. On the walls, notices were torn apart and replaced with demonic graffiti. He knew some students, even Isamu, would joke about school being a prison. It still didn't look like one, no bars anywhere. Although there was something off, a foggy sensation that his horn couldn't clear up.

"Demi?" Kushinada put a hand on his shoulder. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you, about Sarutahiko."

There didn't seem to be anyone here. "What about him?"

"You recall how you encountered him in the labyrinth? As a demon there, he had a special contract that forbade him to speak to you about certain things." She put a hand to her chest and smiled. "While he came with us because of Uzume, he came to respect you. He wanted you to fuse him because I am not bound by that contract, yet I know what it is that he knew."

Things that Lucifer might not want him to know about? "Really? Like what?"

"Well, some of it you've already figured out," Kushinada said. "Or I believe you have. The game of candelabrum among the Fiend clan was indeed set up by Lucifer. They weren't stolen from the labyrinth, but given out as a part of your training as the Demifiend."

"That much is obvious at this point," Naoki said, although now he was sure of that. "And the labyrinth itself is part of that training too."

She nodded. "That's right. He has been honest about one thing: we demons have been waiting a long time for one who could break us out of this eternal deadlock with the forces of heaven. I myself do not understand how you are meant to be that one, but all that Lucifer has been doing within the Amala Universe has led to this."

A sudden scream of pain broke their conversation. Naoki tried to figure out where it was coming from. However, he still didn't sense anyone nearby, not even a ghost.

"Well not quite this," Kushinada said, looking at their immediate surroundings too. "Lucifer had no hand in Kagutsuchi's doings. He too must abide by the laws of Vortex Worlds, or else he will be discovered and driven out ruthlessly."

"Huh, well we joined you simply because we wanted to," Arahabaki said. "Mostly."

"That is true, save Angel," Kushinada said. "She had no choice in the matter once you tricked her into it. Only Sarutahiko knew that specifically and he chose to let you know in the only way he could."

Even if it was a trick, Naoki could see why it had been done. If he'd been told that initially, he would have refused to go along with their games. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to do yet, but it was clear that the goals he had all required him to gain more power and authority. Going along with the candelabrum game and the labyrinth training was his best way forward at this point. "I see. Thank you."

Something changed, so he held a hand up to his demons. At the far end of this hall, some demons appeared as though they'd come through a door. But they were by a wall, not a door. Or was that a portal? He could tell better when he got closer to it. Laughter with cruel tones came from one of them.

"Well yeah, but what are we going to do when these flimsy manikins all die off? This is fun, but it's not gong to last."

"Aw come on, we can keep them just barely alive. And if not, we'll pick up some weaklings to fill the cells back up. Somebody around here has got to want a prison for magatsuhi extraction."

What came around the corner were four snakemen. Three were nagas and one was raga naga. While they were strong demons, them sticking together would make the weakness obvious to him easy to exploit. "At least without Mantra, we don't have to reserve magatsuhi for..." he stopped on noticing them. "Hold on, what are you all doing here?"

"I'm taking over this prison," Naoki said. If that scream had come from a manikin, there was no reason to care about these nagas. "And I'm doing it by destroying the current staff. Want to stop me?"

"Hey, there's no way you're doing that!" the raja naga said, shaking a fist at him. "Let's get him!"

"Don't use Mazio," he told Kushinada before using his Fire Breath. It caused the three nagas slithering towards them to yelp in pain, as well as started fires with all the scattered furniture. That set off the sprinklers, which did make things bad when the raja naga used Mazio himself and the water made the spell last longer.

Trusting Kushinada to heal them up, Naoki focused as Arahabaki barreled through the naga group. His demon was able to zip out of the way in time for him to cut down the three nagas with Heat Wave. At this point, the raja naga was bleeding and weakened. He tried to punch Arahabaki as the closest but only hurt his knuckles on his ceramic body.

"W-w-wait, wait wait!" the raja naga said, slithering back to lower himself meekly. "Hold on, please?"

It was rude to answer someone's request to talk with an attack. "What is it?" Naoki said sternly.

"I don't want to die, all right?" he asked. "You're strong, yeah, you've proven that. So if you want to take over the prison, sure, uh, you deserve it. But you've got to defeat Mizuchi and Thor first, they're in charge here."

"I've defeated Thor already," he said. When the raja naga stared wide-eyed at him, Naoki nodded. "I had to go through the Mantra's trial and got past it without losing any of my followers. So where's this Mizuchi?"

"Ah, well he's here but there's a trick to finding him," the raja naga said. "Um, will you let me go with that?"

He could, but the magatama whispered not to. "No." When the raja naga shuddered, Naoki got closer to him. "I could be talked into letting you go if you join me for now and lead me to where Mizuchi is."

"Ah, well..." he looked back at Naoki and nodded. "Okay. I am Raja Naga of the Snake clan, at your command."

"Good. I am the Demifiend, I'll do what I want."

Raja Naga gave a nervous laugh over that. "Oh, really? Ha ha, uh, yeah, I can see that now. We need to go up to the top floor, this way." He slithered to another hall, eager to prove himself worthy of sparing.

Had that worked better than if he'd been nice about it? His other two followers were impressed with it. Among demons, it would be better to use the demons' way of doing things. If he could just get over that human reluctance... Kagutsuchi was bright again. He could use the way of demons, but he couldn't be reckless about it.

Raja Naga slithered all the way up to the fifth floor to show them the way. A couple other nagas noticed them, but didn't bother them with their king in the group. At the top floor, there was a large picture frame on a wall. When Naoki tried to figure out the whirl of color there, he felt like he was reaching to the other side of a mirror.

The snakeman summoned out a shimmering blue stone, one that matched the painting well. "All of the prisoners are kept within an illusion; these are the only keys in and out of the mirage. Mizuchi stays within the mirage since he's the one who maintains it. Defeat him and, well, the whole mirage will go poof and all the prisoners will return to normal space. The mirage is inescapable without these stones, so taking it down does reduce the reliability of this prison."

"I don't care about that, just take us into the mirage," Naoki ordered.

Raja Naga nodded and held the stone up to the painting. An icy fog poured out of the image, clouding their sight briefly. Through his horn, Naoki felt his normal senses being tampered with. They couldn't be trusted inside the mirage. The mirage also tampered with gravity somehow. When the fog parted, they were standing on the ceiling instead of the floor. His horn confirmed that that at least was real.

"He should be in back of this hallway, unless he's visiting the prisoners," Raja Naga said, entering the main hall of this floor.

Since they were on the ceiling where some lights were broken, Naoki carefully followed after Raja Naga. Now that they were in the mirage, he could see this more like a prison. The classroom doors had been torn away and replaced with bright yellow bars. Past that, he could see the manikins trapped here. Some were collapsed on the ceiling... actually the floor. Others were held in place with heavy latches on their feet. Their suffering led to a large density of magatsuhi flowing through the mirage. He was appalled and enticed being here. There was a lot of magatsuhi here, a lot of power. But he didn't need this power. He needed to develop his own.

There was a large door at the end of the hall. It didn't look the same, but Naoki was pretty sure this was a club area. Past it, they found Mizuchi. The water snake was enormous, having to coil around to fit within this space. Red magatsuhi flowed through his blue body. There was something else too, something tiny and white: Miasma. "What are you doing, bringing those strangers in here?" Mizuchi demanded of Raja Naga.

"Uh, well," Raja Naga looked at him uncertainly.

"I'm taking this prison over by force," Naoki said, really feeling the threat this time since there was a magatama on the line. "The Mantra is dead, as you will soon be."

Mizuchi lifted his head, intrigued by his words. "Oh really? Hah, you have no idea what you're getting into! You cannot match my immense power and size!"

"You're the one who doesn't know what he's getting into," Naoki said, clenching a fist in front of him.

"Well then let's see who's correct," Mizuchi retorted, making the air turn colder.

Kagutsuchi was full and an excitement for the battle ran through his blood. "Hell Biker, we need all the fire we can get!" Naoki called out.

The roar of a motorcycle engine filled the hall as the fiend appeared promptly. "Hah, you got it!"

"You three, just use whatever you have," Naoki ordered to the rest of his group. He could use Fire Breath himself, but he wasn't feeling like magic right now. Even if this snake was made of water, he could still punch it. Mizuchi tried to confuse them with a mirage fog, to no avail.

Ice and fire flew through the room; he had to dodge around as much as he could to keep close to Mizuchi. However, none of his group was weak to ice; he could nullify it if he wanted, but it seemed better to keep himself from getting confused with Iyomante at the fore. Arahabaki actually reflected ice. It didn't do anything to Mizuchi, but then Mizuchi could only possibly confuse Arahabaki. Mizuchi was weak to fire and could do nothing about the flame jets that Hell Biker could conjure with his bike.

As the battle went on, Mizuchi lost more and more of his body. "Wait, wait, how are you guys growing so big?" he asked in an equally smaller voice.

"You're the one whose shrinking in size and power," Naoki said. "You're just about finished."

"Uh, no, that can't be." He slithered back, so Naoki took a step forward and trapped it near the wall. "W-would you show mercy, please?"

He shook his head. "I'll show you the same mercy you had as head of this prison."

"Aaah, well it was my job! Please don't kill me!"

"No."

Mizuchi tried desperately to hit him with an ice spell, but could only make a weak Bufu with what he had left. Naoki punched what seemed to be his head, grabbed Miasma, then tore it out of Mizuchi's body. With that, the snake spattered away into water and magatsuhi. The mirage dissolved upon death as claimed, reverting them back to standing with normal gravity as if it had been that way the whole time.

"No wonder you could defeat Thor," Raja Naga said, in a terrified awe.

"Ha ha, that's our guy," Hell Biker said proudly.

"Raja Naga, our contract is completed," Naoki said to him. "Go or I might change my mind."

"Y-yes sir, Demifiend sir, our contract is completed." He fled out the door to the main hall since he'd been released.

"What a pansy," Hell Biker said. "Mind if I take off now? This ain't exactly a place for a guy like me."

"Go ahead," Naoki said, turning so he could sit against the wall. Miasma was cold going down his throat, but it was with him now.

"That guy was screwed in so many ways," Arahabaki said, making Kushinada chuckle. Naoki's mind blanked out before he could respond to that. Cold... Miasma was a strong ice spirit, but there was something more than that going on. Something of the past...

It had been a cold winter day, back when he was still a kid. His grandfather had to be careful with his wheelchair, but other pedestrians were mindful of the two of them. "This is the place," he said to Naoki, stopping in front of some old stores. "Where we met, where we were engaged. I've always brought her flowers for our anniversary." He took his cane, turning it in his hands briefly.

That was something he remembered. But was that cane right? He was pretty sure his grandfather had one plain in design.

After a moment, his grandfather sighed and set the cane back where it had been. "Much as I'd like to give it myself, I don't know if these old knees could take it today. Here." He passed over a small bouquet to Naoki, then smiled and rubbed his head. "I'm sure she'd be happy to get it from her cute grandson."

He smiled and took the bouquet over to the spot his grandfather wanted it. A cluster of purple foxglove and a red poppy... no wait, that didn't seem right. It should have a red rose as a gift to his grandmother. Looking back to his grandfather, the old man was still smiling at him. But he knew his grandfather didn't keep long hair. And it shouldn't be pale blond either.

Then he was his normal self, with short aged gray hair. He did have a white suit he wore when going out. A strange mist was settling in around them. "People asked if I was sure about her; they didn't think we were a good match. But I went with what I believed in. I don't regret any of that now."

You'll realize someday: you don't need to regret any of this.

How much was he forgetting? Naoki wasn't sure as he rarely found time to think about those things. He didn't want to forget his family, nor the other things he loved about the old world. And there was an odd agreement within his mind. Not even his demonic side wanted to lose everything.

A door opened to his right, drawing him out of Miasma's movements. The manikin that came out was battered, his gray clothes more ragged that the others. However, he looked down at where Naoki was sitting instead of off in another direction. And there was something familiar to his earthy scent, even though Naoki was sure he'd not met this particular manikin before.

"You broke the mirage for us, just as I'd hoped," he said, giving a respectful bow. "Thank you, Naoki."

"Are you Futomimi?" he asked, standing back up to talk with him.

He nodded. "Yes, that's me. I had several visions that suggested you might be come. Also, there's another human being kept in these rooms." Futomimi gripped his left ear. "Your friend Isamu, I believe."

Naoki resisted the urge to sigh at that. "Really? I told him to be careful. I should go speak to him."

"He may be difficult to reason with now," he warned. "I hope he can still listen to you. I'm going to gather the other manikins here, what's left of us at least."

"Sure." Futomimi headed through the large doors while Naoki checked for Isamu's presence.

He wasn't that far, in the club room opposite of where Futomimi had been. There was a density of information... a terminal? That felt out of place for a prison, especially for keeping someone like Isamu. Naoki entered the room and found it a mess; large streaks of Kagutsuchi's light spread across broken tables and chairs. Near the windows, there was indeed a terminal.

Isamu was next to it with his hand on the middle ring. "You're too late, not that you cared at all to come after me," he said spitefully.

Feeling his magatama get hostile while he felt shocked over Isamu's tone, Naoki tried to keep his wits collected. "I had no idea you were captured again until less than a minute ago," he replied.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Isamu said, shaking his head. "You were right, we're done with each other. I can't rely on you, or Ms. Takao, or that stupid dog. There's nobody I can rely on in this world except myself. When I came here, there was this voice from the star. It told me to search for the truth, within myself. I understand now what it meant. No one else can tell me the truth, only I can."

"That's not really truth," Naoki said, although he wasn't sure how to explain it.

"No! The only time I see clearly is when I look within myself, or within the star. But it just lets me see what's inside better. Everybody in this world is out for themselves, I'm sure you've seen that since you've been that way. And the thing that I need next lies within the Amala Network; my answers are there." He spun the middle ring.

"Wait, it's dangerous in there," he said, hurrying over and not caring that he was walking over all this debris.

Isamu smirked and shook his head, then disappeared within the drum. Seconds later, all the rungs of the drum sped up until it turned itself to smoke in vanishing. Naoki would have no way of finding him easily.

"Dammit," he grumbled, rubbing his head. He should have expected this, after what happened in Ikebukuro. Isamu had been trying to fix things, but he gave up faster. Still, Naoki wasn't sure how his former friend would live inside the Network as a normal human.

If he can summon a drum, he can get the Network to support him. Don't worry, carry on with your plans.

"How do you know that?" Naoki asked.

...Lucifer. Don't worry about Isamu except as a potential threat now that he's cast you aside. Same thing with your other friend. Focus on your training until no one can stop you.

Could the parasites really not lie to him? Even if that was true, they could certainly mislead him if they wanted. It might be best to trust them mostly with quick reflexes and senses beyond the norm. He did hope that Isamu wouldn't end up starving in the network, or swallowed up by it.

He heard a commotion outside, so he left the room for the main hall. The classroom doors were open, but the freed manikins were keeping inside the room. In contrast, Futomimi was out confronting a trio of nagas. "Would you care to take me back to my cell, then?" he asked. He was completely bluffing; even if he had a chance in battle otherwise, he was too weak from his imprisonment to fight them off now.

It was working as the nagas were taken aback. Naoki walked over quickly. "What's going on out here?"

"These guards seem to object to letting us go, prison master Demifiend," Futomimi said, giving him a deferential bow.

"Prison master?" one of the nagas asked, bringing his spear up.

"When did this guy become prison master?" another asked.

"Just now when I turned the old prison master into a puddle," Naoki said. The raja naga had cowered relatively easily; it had to work on these nagas and would be more efficient than being nice. It was the demon way of things. Meanwhile, he wondered it he could make his glow shift for further intimidation.

Sure thing, but it might feel odd for you to trigger it consciously. We'll handle it.

"Uh, the mirage is gone," the third naga said, already intimidated.

"I dunno, this guy doesn't look tough enough for that," the first one said, trying to bluff too. But he was nowhere near Futomimi's level.

"Looks are not everything," Naoki said. The lines on him dimmed. "If you want me to prove it to you with my fists, then go ahead and come at me." Futomimi wisely stepped to the wall as Naoki's markings brightened back up. "I'm training to be Lucifer's heir and no one outside of him and my clanmates is going to have a chance at challenging me now. Well?"

"Oh shit, we've got a real one this time," the third naga said, already slithering backwards.

"O-okay, if you say you're prison master now, then you're the prison master," the first one said, trying to appease him by holding his shield arm back. "But why let these manikins go?"

"They're a waste of time to keep imprisoned now, so just let them go," Naoki said. "The Mantra is dead, destroyed by the Nihilo with their Nightmare System. And if anybody crosses me, I'll just destroy them. There's no need for this prison now. Go release the other manikins and find something else to do."

"R-right, got it." The three of them then slithered off to release prisoners on other levels.

"Thank you again for helping us," Futomimi said as the other manikins started coming out cautiously. They were encouraged by their leader's presence, but reasonably intimidated by his claims too. "We intend to head back to Asakusa to continue making our own hometown. You're welcome to visit when you have a chance."

Naoki nodded. "All right. Your people who were in the Mantra headquarters got released too. I told them to meet up with those hiding in the Great Underpass between Ginza and Ikebukuro; they're probably still around there."

"We'll have to make contact with them then," he said, taking hold of his left ear again. "Also, I had a vision that may help you in the near future. You mean to tackle the Obelisk under Nihilo's control? The goddesses of fate who watch over it are cruel beings, albeit not as much as their master. This has led to three dissatisfied demons within the Obelisk. I don't have a clear image on them: a dark flame, a small swordsman, and a dignified lady. They could make your passage through there much smoother should you make them allies."

It was a huge tower, so knowing some potential allies was good. "Sure, thanks. Good luck getting to Asakusa."

* * *

Her heel connected with the weird starfish's one eye, jabbing through with a satisfying squelch. The demon shrieked and fled. While Chiaki felt like she could catch up to the injured thing, she decided to leave it be. It could spread tales that she wasn't a human to take lightly. It felt so good to not worry about having to be nice or polite anymore.

Although, her outfit wasn't suited to fighting like this; she had to tug her jean skirt back into place. Maybe she should drop by Shibuya and try to find something more flexible? But all the athletic clothing that she'd ever seen were unappealing, gaudy with bright colors or drab with grays and creams. Maybe a looser skirt like Persephone had worn? Although she knew from the demon that her outfit had involved a short petticoat that kept the skirt just off her legs and made it easier to kick in. But fist fighting might break her ring, plus most of her new musculature wasn't in her arms.

Chiaki paused before leaving the Diet building. There was a large amount of magatsuhi in the building; she had something like a spell that told her of magatsuhi levels in her immediate vicinity. However, she could only access the grand lobby here. All of the doors further in were locked. While this would be an ideal place to call on a god, she'd have to find a way into other parts of the building to do that. The lobby itself didn't have the right conditions. She'd have to find somewhere easier to get into.

But then, that had to wait until some Divine Messenger allowed the rites of Creation to continue. Chiaki didn't mind waiting for that Messenger. As she didn't know what kind of god she wanted to call on, time to figure that out was appreciated. Although, she'd prefer to be working with a goddess over a god. Yosuga would be her world and if she could make it so that women had more power than men, that would be ideal.

While the Diet building was nearly pristine in spite of Conception, the Center for Supernatural Research was in bad shape. Half the building had collapsed and the other half had large cracks in the wall. But Kagutsuchi would provide something. On checking around, Chiaki located a set of large metal doors at the bottom of some stairs. CDF in yellow letters stood out there. There was an electronic lock on it; a card was half-buried in the sand at the bottom of the steps. With that, she was able to enter.

The basement might have been locked, but there was someone inside who turned to see her. Thankfully, it wasn't a demon; she was an angel, odd with her green-tinted skin but still very beautiful. She was like some nature spirit turned holy warrior, holding onto a pink lily while wearing a white sword at her hip and gold armor over her torso. "Oh, someone's found this place?" she asked.

"Who are you?" Chiaki asked. Angels were supposed to be undeniably good beings, right? They protected humans and taught them about virtues and vices to save their souls.

"I am Gabriel, one of the Seraphs of Heaven," she said. "I should be going. Although, you appear to be a bearer of Reason now."

"Yes, I've given it a name," she said. "I'm Chiaki."

Gabriel tapped her lily on her cheek. "Well then, Chiaki, would you mind hearing me out? I must abide by the laws of Kagutsuchi and one of my rank can only make brief visits to a Vortex World unless the Divine clan has agreed to support a Reason. But the star of Creation should give me an allowance for speaking to one such as yourself."

"I was going to study here, but go ahead." Would angels support her Reason? If they did, Yosuga would be clearly better than any other Reason.

"Have you heard of the Church of the Messiah?" When Chiaki shook her head to that, Gabriel smiled for a second. "I'm not surprised at that. In the world you were born into, our church was weak. Its members were ridiculed or dismissed as phonies. But in times of great need, when the world is at risk of being lost to the deceptions of demons, God will send a Messiah to save humanity, blessing Her chosen with great power and wisdom. That is a promise that the Church keeps hope in; they raise the faith of the people so that it can be fulfilled."

"But my world got destroyed anyhow," Chiaki said.

She nodded sadly. "The word of God was weak to your world, leaving many to presume She was dead. Even as we tried to increase faith in Her, it was never enough. Also, your world was killed by a man, not a demon. It happened relatively fast; even we Seraphs were blindsided by the shocking turn of events. We're worried that our God's words will be even weaker in the new world that comes, that world growing even uglier without the benefit of Her love. The demons would gain more power and if it goes far enough, we may be forced to declare the apocalypse there to fully root out corruption before it spreads to other worlds."

"Then you want Her supporting one of the Reasons so Her words are strong again." Although if this god had gotten that weak, was She such a good candidate for Yosuga?

"That is what all gods want in this place, is it not?" Gabriel pointed out. "But my God is not one of narrow focus such as most that you would find pleading their cases. She is the ultimate Creator; She who forms the lands, seas, and skies, as well as all who dwell within them. When Her word is strong, She can move the mountains to Her liking and smite the most fearsome of demons. She embraces the natural order of things and makes laws to ensure peace and prosperity. As long as one follows Her laws, Her blessings will ensure that there is nothing one cannot accomplish."

On the other hand, that was a powerful god in the right circumstances. And if She did enforce the laws of nature, then the deserving strong would surely rise above the pathetic pleas of the weak. "Would your God back up my Reason? I want to create a world of Yosuga, for the beautiful and strong."

Gabriel nodded. "I believe it would be so. Otherwise, She would not have seen to it that the two of us met here. But you would need a larger amount of magatsuhi than usual to call upon one of Her avatars."

"What about calling on your God Herself?"

"That would require a ridiculous amount of magatsuhi, all that exists within this Vortex World," she said. "And unfortunately, you have two named Reasons and a few potential unnamed Reasons to compete with. That's why I suggest one of Her avatars, since She acts directly through them and Her word will be stronger even if it is merely an avatar that reaches Kagutsuchi." Then she chuckled. "Actually, if you want to know a secret, Kagutsuchi itself is one of Her avatars. That is the only way it has any authority over the process of Creation. But Kagutsuchi itself must remain perfectly impartial."

If Gabriel's God was the one who gave Kagutsuchi power, than the best world possible would be one made through one of this Creator's avatars. It would be the way to ensure a victory for Yosuga, especially over the shadowy Shijima and the mysterious third Reason. "I see," Chiaki said. "Well, if you and I make an alliance to summon one of Her avatars, you can stick around then, right?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. You don't have the power at the moment to make an official alliance with a Seraph. But I will pass on word to the Divine clan that we're keeping watch over you. I can advise you on your path forward, but eventually I will have to leave."

"That's unfortunate." She would have liked to have Gabriel stick by her side, as a clear sign of superiority. "What do you think I should do?"

"Take control of the rituals of Creation away from Hikawa," Gabriel said. "We are still in the early stages of the process when Reasons can be formed. To be able to call on a god at all, the Divine Messenger must be located. The Messenger..." she tapped her lily to her cheek, then frowned, "the Messenger is an angel bearing a trumpet. There are two such angels within the Vortex World. Choose not the one of deathly revelations; choose the one of living revelations."

"What does that mean?" Maybe it was a test. However, Chiaki didn't know much about angels.

"It's supposed to be a riddle, but it's clear to me what it means. Many angels have musical talents naturally, but there's a special case of an angel known as a Trumpeter. They have certain duties when it comes to divine wars. However, the forces of Hell managed to acquire a fallen Trumpeter for their own use. You're simply looking for a Divine Trumpeter rather than a Fiend Trumpeter. It should be clear simply looking at them which one reveals death and which one reveals life."

"But if the fiend belongs to hell, what's it doing here if Kagutsuchi can make a riddle about it? It doesn't seem right to let them into the rites of Creation." They'd only be able to make a hellish world, after all.

Gabriel looked uneasy at that. "Right. As I said, Kagutsuchi is perfectly impartial. It will deny one who seeks destruction over creation. But any god can be called upon to support a Reason, even those who were cast down to become demons, just as long as they support Creation. Actually, the presence of the Fiend Trumpeter is a sign of another major problem. The master of Hell has sent his own agent to sabotage Creation: the Demifiend. The other fiends were sent here in order to assist him. As a whole, fiends are fiercely independent. But if one is capable of uniting them, they will be a fearsome force."

Something clicked in that, some knowledge from Persephone. "Wait, Demifiend... is that Naoki?" When Gabriel nodded, Chiaki tapped her foot on the ground. "Huh. That could be bad because Naoki is pretty good at getting people to work together. I mean, I would have completely ignored Isamu if it wasn't for Naoki. Maybe he could get even fiends to work with him."

"To be honest, that is a reason why we would like to stop Naoki before he becomes too powerful," she said. "But our limited time here means we can't act against him directly."

For a moment, Chiaki wasn't sure if she wanted to work with the angels if they were against Naoki. He was one of the few good friends she had. On the other hand, he stubbornly refused to let her fuse with Persephone and had outright ignored her when she was trying to convince him to side with Yosuga. He most likely would end up supporting Isamu even if his friend was an idiot who didn't deserve the power of Creation.

"Well I don't care if you want to stop him, or even kill him," Chiaki said, trying to be tough about it. "He's lost his mind in becoming what he is, so he's no longer my friend. But I need to find this Divine Messenger, and then get enough magatsuhi to summon your God's avatar."

"After you find the Messenger, I'd advise that you seek out the Yahirono Himorogi in Yoyogi Park. In order to summon the road to Kagutsuchi, the Himorogi must be placed within the Amala Temple. It also contains a great density of magatsuhi, enough for your purposes. By claiming control of the Messenger and the Himorogi, you control the speed at which the rites of Creation take place."

In that case, she could quickly summon the avatar of God to support her Reason, then create the road before any of the other Reasons had time to summon their gods. It was a plan that perfectly suited Yosuga.


	21. Terms of Contract

A third Reason had been named; it couldn't have been Yuko, so it had to be the other student of hers. While he could let her go to formally name her Reason, Hikawa didn't see a reason to do so. Two competing Reasons should be plenty to satisfy Kagutsuchi's game. It was time to solve that ridiculous riddle about the angels and move to the next stage of Creation.

His network of demons had given him a range of potential places: Ikebukuro, Asakusa, the outer reaches of the Ginza landmass. Most of them were simply hearing a trumpet that couldn't be found. Of course, searching for an angel with magic wasn't working. There were many kinds of angels roaming the Vortex World, mostly out in the sands. Searching for a trumpeter should only come up with two potential results, even if it took more time to specify.

Following what lead he'd gotten, Hikawa traveled to Asakusa. Both results led here; the two might be keeping an eye on each other. Or even working together, if the trumpeters could be blackmailed or something similar. He left the town with Samael and headed for the more desolate areas where the two angels were currently located. Kagutsuchi shone far overhead, watching and waiting.

"As tiresome as it is to walk this way myself, it is nice to see the results of my work," Hikawa said. The sand was of such a fine grade that it'd be safe enough to walk through barefoot even as it was evidence of the sheer magnitude of destruction.

"Even I do not meet many who could end the world with such refinement," Samael said, coasting gently near him. "Albeit unevenly as many structures were left untouched."

Hikawa shrugged. "It was Kagutsuchi's doing, providing some fragment of civilization to we humans who walk under its light. I prefer the structures of its own make like the Obelisk myself, but it would reassure the others." The charm on his wrist twitched on its own, so he stopped and caught it between his fingers. "One of them is near."

Flying ahead a short distance, Samael coiled up in the air, then bellowed as loudly as he could. The air at one point went hazy, then darkened into an angel that was curiously hanging upside-down. It held onto a long trumpet and had a skull instead of a normal head. While Hikawa couldn't check on its exact statistics, he noticed that this was a Fiend Trumpeter. It probably wasn't the right one, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

"What reason do you have for bothering me?" Trumpeter asked, sounding a little annoyed. Due to his skeletal face, it was hard to tell if he really was.

"I'm searching for someone," Hikawa said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting to see if someone is worthy of bearing the power of death," Trumpeter said. "You are not worthy."

Revelations of death: this wasn't the Divine Messenger. Still, he didn't believe he was worthy? Hikawa frowned. "I'm not worthy of your power of death when I'm the Lord of Conception?"

"Not at all," Trumpeter said.

This could not stand. "Then you're another who is easily mistaken," Hikawa said, waving Samael closer. "If you won't believe me, I'll prove it."

"Do you really want to challenge me?" he asked, tapping his trumpet against his hand. "Very well, it's your funeral."

* * *

After mocking them, the three ladies laughed and teleported elsewhere. Naoki didn't feel intimidated by them. He'd been able to defeat others in his way. While sometimes he was defeated and killed, it was only angels or other fiends who had done so. He could tell from his horn that these were the three Greek fates. They still didn't scare him.

He glanced back to the center, watching the pulse of magatsuhi flowing up the tower. The design in here was cubes upon cubes, stacked on top of and stuck to each other to form walkways, walls, columns, and more. Within those cubical structures, there was a colossal amount of empty space that seemed like it should contain all the energy of the world. A faint beat and inaudible hum filled the air. But all the cubes didn't seem like something alive. It felt more like this place contained the soul of the world, waiting until it was strong enough to reach the light of Creation.

"It's faaascinating, isn't it?" a low voice brayed. "I could be contemplative here for hours."

Pulling his own attention away from the life pulse, Naoki noticed a demon drifting closer to them. The black-furred goatman had a purity of power within his soul. It reminded him of the true Kaiwan among the shades. And not only did he seem disinclined to fight, but the demon had a dark red flame between his long horns. Vile Baphomet, a true demon of dark magic who would be more difficult to defeat now than the fate sisters.

"I could too," Naoki said. "I saw you before Conception happened, Baphomet."

He nodded. "For a brief moment. I'd apologize, but it's one of the terms of contract with human summoners. As long as they are strong in their craft, we demons must obey their commands. Even the hesitation I had ended up with him dismissing me because I did not follow through immediately."

"I see." With that in mind, it didn't feel right to blame him.

"I've heard whispers of you, Demifiend, that you're already bold enough to defy Lucifer and have humiliated Thor," Baphomet said, then chuckled. "Then I am glad I did not have to kill you. Hikawa ought to be more careful of you than he is."

"I scared him pretty good when we met again," Naoki told him. "What are you doing now that he's released you?"

He shrugged and tossed his head, making the flame larger for a second. "Nothing much, although I do have a charity commission I took on to amuse myself. I came here searching for materials I need. Were you thinking of trying to contract me?"

The question made Naoki suspicious. While Futomimi had suggested a demon like this could assist him, this seemed too easy. "Can I? I mean, you're not like these two I have now. Maybe I could handle one of your shades, but you seem more powerful than I could contract as a follower."

"That's correct," Baphomet said, impressed.

However, having this demon's help would make things easier. "But what would you say to an informal agreement to travel through the Obelisk together? I need to get to the top, but we could spare some time to help you look around for your materials."

"You're picking up on how to work things to your benefit well," he said. "I don't need the help myself to reach where I need to go here, yet you amuse me enough that I'll humor your request for an informal agreement. Very well, Demifiend, we will traverse this Obelisk together." He offered a hand.

Naoki nodded and shook hands with him for the agreement. And right then, a loud whinny filled the vast space, making Baphomet close his eyes and sigh. "Fooooouuunnddd yooooouuuuuu!" The ghost of an algae-coated horse flew by Naoki, making him wrinkle his nose at the stench. Fairy Kelpie, good with ailments but weak to force. "Massterrrrr..."

Brushing the kelpie away so it didn't nuzzle his head, Baphomet said, "No, I already declined you."

"Buuut liiike Masterrr..." the kelpie pleaded, seeming oddly lustful.

"No. If you must follow me, make a contract with him because we're traveling together."

"Okayyyy, for Masterrrr!" The kelpie then barreled over to Naoki, causing him to step back so they didn't collide. "I Fairrrry Kelpieeee, I EAT EVERYONE!"

"Uh, what?" Naoki said, not sure he wanted this demon along. Yet somehow, he felt like it was already a contract.

Baphomet chuckled. "Never had a contract forced on you before? Kelpie might be useful for you."

"Or he might prove more annoying than Arahabaki ever was," Kushinada said.

"Hey, I was never that bad," Arahabaki said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Exactly."

Kelpie was already snuffling near Naoki's shoulder. "Hmm, new Masterrrr smell different. Be niiiiccceeee to old Masterrrr."

Maybe it was karma for how he'd contracted Angel. Or just weird luck. "What is it after you for?" Naoki asked Baphomet.

"I'll decline to say exactly why," he said. "I have a passion for traditional means of summoning, even if it means having to fulfill the most bizarre requirements. The project I have now is, well, more complicated than traditional means of Fiend summoning even though calling upon your clan has a greater risk of death for the slightest infractions."

"You're a summoner?" Naoki asked. When Baphomet nodded, he thought of some things that had puzzled him. "I've heard a bit about that art and did some fusing, but I don't know a lot about it. What's with that paper charm that Hikawa wears?"

"It's a medium through which he controls magic and spirits," Baphomet said, explaining more as they went over to the nearby elevator. He seemed pleased to teach about summoning and various aspects about magic when they weren't involved with battles.

* * *

Those who entered the Amala Network without a destination in mind had to be willing to give up entirely on leaving. Unless one already had power, a destination could only be reached by being decided upon before entering. Otherwise, the halls never ended. Those who found this out by accident often succumbed to despair and were swallowed whole. But those who entered to find solitude would find it, and be able to exist as long as their will held out.

Things had existed like that for an untold time. However, words of power had reached into the Network. Someone had wished for a world of solitude; someone had truly wished for Musubi. The solitary souls weren't inclined to help someone else. Yet if Musubi came to guide Creation, they could actually live with this comfortable solitude they had found instead of wandering as lost souls. The souls of the network stirred to action at long last, seeking out their new light.

Isamu sensed them drawing near. Unlike with Naoki's strange powers, he didn't feel unsettled by these kindred souls. He welcomed their presence and they granted him what little power they had. It wasn't much, certainly not enough to summon a god with. But the Network became more and more natural to him as they continued to gather. Not possession, but transformation into something more than human. Yes, this was where he was meant to be.

Before long, he arrived at where he meant to go, within the Network instead of outside it. Information seemed tangible here; facts and truth bore weight. Dozens of lost souls had found him. They gathered around his soul to keep it from being crushed into data. If he tried to take this in his normal mindset, his movements would be hindered by a swampy density. But this wasn't normal space. He didn't need to be hindered by physicality. That let him move deeper within.

And he grasped his goal: a key that only existed as information until he held it and it gained a physical form. This would open the way into the Amala Temple within the Vortex World. It was a vital place to claim hold over: it had a massive amount of magatsuhi to summon a god with, it had a direct connection to the Network, and it was the place to trigger the final rites of Creation. Now that he had the key and the means to come and go from the Network at will, Isamu finally had a strong holding within this strange setting.

Mostly. He could do what he want within the Network, but outside, he would still be relatively weak. That was a problem when three powerful demons had already squatted in the temple, taking control of the lesser ones. But with some more time, Naoki would be more than powerful enough to take them out. Then Isamu had to have some way to control him. But as the Demifiend, Naoki was not bound by normal rules of being demon or human. He couldn't be contracted or commanded.

"But I do know what Naoki's after," Isamu said, smiling to himself. And from within the Network, it would be so easy to find. He couldn't count on their former friendship being enough, but he could count on them being more than enough to get Naoki to do his bidding.

"Hello?" a voice said. It sounded far off as it was trying to reach into this powerful space. "You're Isamu, right? Naoki's friend. He's been looking for you."

Out of habit, he looked to the direction of the voice. Characters swarmed between them. That had to be Hijiri, the guy Naoki kept talking about. Or... was it? No, Jyoji Hijiri was that guy's name, but there was another name behind it, one that bore a strong hatred towards it. "Aleph?" Isamu called back.

A painful scream was all he got in response. Isamu saw him with the Network's eyes, fallen onto his knees with his hands gripping his head. Ah, he wasn't supposed to be addressed by his true name because of the nature of his curse. He'd forget it again as soon as he recovered from the shock. In fact, 'Hijiri' was even more pitiful than Isamu was in the Vortex World, forbidden from doing so much and unable to know why.

Isamu laughed at that. "Man, you're destined to be nothing but a bystander. What a loser. Although if you could gain mastery over the Amala Network, you might find a way to escape your soul's fate. Heh, like that'll ever happen. The Network is mine."

Hijiri probably didn't understand, in part because he'd fainted. Although, there actually was a good chance that he could comprehend the Network quicker than Isamu had. If he was allowed to, he might even gain mastery over it before Isamu could. That could not be allowed. Isamu reached out to the terminal, than transported Hijiri away from the terminal and off somewhere random.

With that rival delayed, Isamu turned his attention towards his next goal. Musubi would be real and whether he liked it or not, Naoki would have to support him.

* * *

"This place just goes on and on," Naoki said, crouching at the edge of the lift. It was nothing more than another giant block, glowing red as it carried them further on.

"Eventually, it will grow far longer than what we traverse now," Baphomet said. "This is where all must come to meet with Kagutsuchi, once the road is complete."

"So no sense complaining when it's short like this," he said.

Kelpie had been knocked out in a battle on the last floor they'd explored. But despite it being one of his followers now, Naoki didn't want to revive it yet. Unlike the time when Pixie and Hua Po had been fighting, Kelpie had not proven itself useful enough to keep around. It did have some ailment spells to slow opponents down. But that didn't matter when the rest of them, especially Baphomet when he bothered to participate, could defeat the demons they encountered quickly. Maybe once he was done with the Obelisk, Kelpie wouldn't mind being dismissed as they parted ways with Baphomet.

On another flight of stairs up, Naoki sensed a dis of the Yoma clan climbing slowly ahead of them. There was a faint taste of dissatisfaction in the air; she must be feeling that strongly to leave traces this far behind. She might be the elegant lady Futomimi spoke of. Taking the steps quicker, Naoki and his companions caught up to her. "Excuse me."

"Hmm?" She glanced back, caught in her distraction; her long cape swung to the side as she stopped "Oh. Don't mind me, I don't feel like fighting right now. Go on ahead."

"You seem annoyed," Naoki said. "Does it have something to do with the fate sisters?"

While her expression didn't change much, she put her hand to her chest. "Oh? You noticed? Hmm, well it's not much concern to you, but they are really difficult to work with. The rules they put in place make everything a burden to do. For instance, the puzzle that lies just ahead blocks off the way to the elevator. We can reach the Cathedral here, but not the Fountain of Life, not without going through their puzzle. And they won't let it be bypassed unless they send down orders for us to move to another area."

There was a puzzle ahead that could be bypassed, then? Naoki wondered about something. "There's a Cathedral of Shadows here?"

"Yes, for some reason," the dis said.

"That's one place I wanted to stop at, actually," Baphomet said.

"We mean to challenge those sisters, since they'll get in our way," Naoki said to the dis. "Would you like to work with us?"

"Oh my," she said. "I would rather like that, actually. I sense no contract between you two, but you must be something special to get Baphomet to work with you. However, their rules would still bind me within the Obelisk. I can tell you how the puzzle works, which would be important as there are several in your way to the top. But I would be unable to bypass it."

"But what if I fused you into someone else who could tell me?" he said. Not only should that work, but their traveling group was larger than he was used to. And he had three other fiends he could call on if he needed a larger one.

For a second, she smiled. "The proposition gets more intriguing, I see. Very well, I'll trust myself to you. I am Dis of the Yoma clan, a pleasure to meet you."

Naoki nodded. "I am the Demifiend, same to you."

She looked ahead. "Well then, Demifiend, we can reach the Cathedral past the next intersection. Continue upwards when you get there."

* * *

Seeing no other choice, Samael snatched up the fallen Hikawa and fled from Trumpeter as quick as his wings could carry him. The fiend sent out a blaring note on his trumpet to taunt him; Samael wasn't going to fall for that. It had been a foolish battle, but his summoner had chosen to stay. Now that Hikawa was unconscious, Samael felt it was in his best interests to take him somewhere safer. He had been called upon to protect the man, after all.

The town nearby had a Fountain of Life, as most communities with demons should. Landing carefully on the road, Samael set Hikawa down and rapped on the door with his tail. Doors weren't things that he could handle nicely.

The healer came to the door for them. Seeing the human on the ground, she didn't bother greeting him and went to tend to Hikawa immediately. After using a few spells, she finally looked up at him. "You did well to bring him to me so quickly; this was perilous damage that could have ended him. I will take him inside to soak in the healing waters, but he will need to be protected for some time so he can recover. As he is human, magic alone cannot undo all these wounds."

"I have been charged with his protection, by his request," Samael said, twitching his head wings. This wasn't what he normally handled as an angel of death. But it was the terms of this contract.

As the healer brought Hikawa into her spring through telekinesis, Samael considered where he could take him. The Ginza bases were unsafe; Hikawa had basically abandoned them since the Nightmare System was running. The Obelisk was still under Nihilo's control. However, it was currently set up to test the Demifiend's capabilities. Samael considered that unwise as well, since testing that one would only serve to further his training. But then he wished to face the Demifiend when he was close to his full potential, so it was a foolishness he did not mind keeping quiet about.

There was also the Diet Building. It was not officially under Nihilo control yet. However, Samael knew it was one of Hikawa's further goals. It should be a quiet location currently. And if he knew some of the demons in that area, it would help both of them.

Hikawa was still unconscious when the healer brought him out. A group of manikins had shown up outside of the large gate, discussing amongst themselves when to do about him. Not caring about those mud dolls, Samael carefully took Hikawa back and boosted himself back into the air. It was quick to get anywhere here with flight; the trouble would be getting indoors.

* * *

While they were about halfway up the Obelisk, the Cathedral of Shadows was just the same as the others Naoki had entered. In fact, so was the minister. "Wait, there's just one of you, isn't there?" Naoki asked. "And only one of this place."

"Nngh," the minister grumbled, shifting his glasses.

Baphomet chuckled. "He's got you pinned, Mido."

The minister, apparently Mido, sighed. "Yes, I'll admit it. The doors are actually warps to my one Cathedral and there is only me. I thought I had it set up to be imperceptible this time."

"It all smells and feels the same, that's what tipped me off," Naoki said.

"Well I still have Hikawa fooled, I think," Mido said. "I hear that your formal name has been made apparent. How may I serve you, Demifiend? Or you, Baphomet?"

Getting out a stone to revive Kelpie, he said, "I wanted to do some fusing, but I hadn't decided on exactly who."

"I happened to be here, so I'd like to pick up and restore a medium," Baphomet said. "The chariot wheel."

"You're really going to summon him into this world?" Mido asked.

Baphomet nodded. "My past summoner has tested my patience on several occasions, finally letting me go when I tested his. I wish to," he chuckled darkly, "cause him some trouble."

"That could work," Mido said, calling out a small charm that looked like a golden wheel. "I've done what I could to repair it, but it needs a white pearl to finish it off."

"Well that's trouble," Baphomet said, his flame flickering faster.

"Mmm, Masterrrr?" Kelpie said, looking over to the goat demon. Baphomet ignored him.

"I have one," Naoki said, calling it out and offering it.

"Are you sure?" Baphomet asked, raising an eyebrow. When Naoki confirmed that, he smiled and accepted it. "How generous, you have my gratitude. Maybe I will invite you to the special summoning after all. It would certainly be educational for you." He then passed the pearl over to the minister.

"Oh yes, I'd recommend watching him at work if you have the chance," Mido said, letting some enthusiasm slip past his normal calm demeanor. He set the charm and pearl within his fusion chamber in order to fix the former.

Once he was done with that, the minister let Naoki take his hand to visualize what was possible. Dis was the one he certainly wanted fused... actually, it seemed an interesting demon could come of one fusion. "I'd like to fuse Dis and Kelpie," he decided.

"Masterrrr?" Kelpie asked, looking at Baphomet.

"Go for it, it'll be fun," Baphomet replied.

"Oookay!" Once Kelpie turned around, Baphomet looked relieved.

There weren't many skills Naoki felt had to be passed on with them, just the knowledge that Dis had. The demon that came out of the fusion chamber was different from both of his predecessors, being a large elegant bird with a red body and a rainbow of tail feathers. "I am Holy Feng Huang, glad to be of service," he said, bowing his small head.

"Have you had a goal in mind for your fusions?" Baphomet asked.

"No, just trying to keep a varied group," Naoki said, patting Feng Huang as he came close.

Baphomet's flame flickered. "An ordinary summoner could get away with haphazard fusions as needed, but someone like yourself might want to look into fusion chains, building up to an extraordinary demon with skills it normally wouldn't carry. I understand that you're simply getting started. But if you would like, I could skim your compendium and see if there's anyone special you could attempt fusing."

"My compendium?" Naoki asked.

"Yes, he means this," Mido said, summoning a large leather-bound book. "Custom to every summoner we... I serve, it records every demon you have had a contract with, and sometimes a few others who've had an exceptionally good contact. For a fee, I can summon the recorded version of any demon in your compendium. It comes in handy for fusion."

"Take it and let's see who you've got," Baphomet said.

Agreeing to that, he took the tome in both arms. It flipped pages on its own, detailing moves and characteristics of demons he'd worked with, from Kushinada, Arahabaki, and Feng Huang with him, to those like Shikigami and Kodama. There was even an entry on Incubus, despite Naoki only traveling a short distance with one.

"You know, Arahabaki is a good comrade, but he has been fainting every few battles," Baphomet said.

"So many demons around here are using fire, it's nonsense," Arahabaki said.

Ignoring that, Baphomet guided the tome back to another entry. "Try summoning this Raja Naga and fusing them together. It should keep his physical prowess while reducing the weaknesses you have to work around as your group's leader."

There was quite a fee attached to calling Raja Naga back, but Naoki was curious as to where this was going. "All right, let's do that."

Mido took his tome back. "Very well. You will need to reconfirm your contract with Raja Naga, and pass over the payment of course."

Once Naoki paid the fee, the minister used the tome to summon the snakeman within the fusion chamber. Raja Naga flexed his arms as he appeared. "I am Raja Naga of the Snake clan, glad to be of..." he glanced over and saw them, "ser...vice... ah ha, hello sir..."

"Hello again," he said. "I am the Demifiend, thanks for coming. But I'm fusing you right away."

"Oh, sure, that's fine, no complaints from me," Raja Naga said, keeping wary. Baphomet chuckled at this.

"Hmm, I hope this turns out well," Arahabaki said, going on ahead into the other chamber.

"Most important is keeping Focus with this line," Baphomet commented. "But -kunda and -kaja skills, especially the combination ones like War Cry, are valuable as well."

"I was thinking that," Naoki said, accepting the minister's hands to set up the skills. As the result was another warrior, it was easy to get what he wanted on the new demon.

He was human again, this time wielding a sword and wearing armor. "I am the Kinshin Okuninushi, glad to serve you as always," he said. He tossed his black hair. "Hmm, I could really be a male idol this time around, don't you think?"

"Definitely," Naoki said, amused that he still had that dream.

"You might even be a better singer now," Kushinada said, smiling briefly.

Baphomet looked over the other demons, then nodded at some thought. "Yes, there is still work to do, but with these three in the correct fusion chain, you could make a contract with a demon that is rarely seen. You'll need two more demons, one of which is already in your compendium. For now, train these three to learn their natural skills. We should be able to discuss the next steps after ascending this Obelisk."

"Are you two still going to be against fusing with each other?" Naoki asked, looking to Kushinada and Okuninushi.

"Not unless he does anything horrible between now and then, no," Kushinada said.

"It wouldn't bother me now," Okuninushi said.

"That's good. Thank you again, Mido." He then looked to the newest follower he had. "Feng Huang, you still remember how to skip the puzzle?"

The bird trilled several notes. "Certainly, but it will be easier to explain on site. Go back to the split in the stairs and head inward."

After more twists and turns to the stairs and paths, they arrived at a set of blocks that stood out for their stark black material with glowing blue patterns on the sides. The blocks on the floor felt like they could crumble if used too much. The blocks that were in their way were too smooth to climb and too large to jump. From the patterns, it appeared to be a moon phase puzzle. This one with only four floor blocks looked simple, but Naoki could tell a larger one would hurt his mind trying to get through.

Feng Huang went to a glowing sphere at the start and put a foot on it. "This affects the phases of Kagutsuchi, and those blocks will only come down at the right phases. It's meant to be solved by stepping on the floor panels and moving phases. But if you take too long, the panels vanish."

"And it'll be extremely obvious to the whole Vortex World that someone is trying to pass these," Naoki said. Flying demons like Feng Huang would have no problem, but those that had to stick to the ground would be blocked.

"The puzzle is meant to start when this orb is touched and released," he said, still holding onto the orb. "It resists being moved, but if you push it just right," Feng Huang got the orb slightly forward and down, clicking it into a new place, "the puzzle deactivates entirely. I know the placement of this one, but I don't know the unlocking position for higher sections."

"Now that I know that, I'll be able to figure that out quicker than those phase puzzles," Naoki said. The path ahead to the elevator was unblocked and obvious, but there was a side path as well. "Let's explore around; we need to train anyhow."


	22. When You Bypass a Puzzle, the Boss Gets Angry

The deadline for naming a Reason was fast approaching. When the Divine Messenger called out to the heavens beyond, Kagutsuchi would accept no more names. It was required for at least two Reasons to be named for the Messenger to be available; there were three named Reasons. And... two people were searching directly for the Messenger. It was possible for an unnamed Reason to be accepted if the bearer's will was strong enough to reach Kagutsuchi, but that possibility was slim.

But then, his possibility for naming a Reason in the first place was slim already. It bothered Futomimi as he descended back to the entrance of Mifunashiro. Kagutsuchi watched him along the way, a merciless blue light that didn't care what was going on as long as its rules were obeyed. When he got to the lowest section of this valley by Asakusa, he stopped and looked up at the star of Creation. It was near its faintest stage, harmless to look at. It didn't care about manikins, humans, angels, or demons. That could work for or against him.

Why do you dare grasp for the power of Creation as an accidental creation?

"Accident or not, we are alive," Futomimi replied.

Silence answered. Maybe he'd just imagined that. It was a long march through the dark tunnels to get back home when all of them were weakened and scared from their imprisonment. A gentle people did not deserve such tribulations, even if most of them were fragmentary beings. Couldn't they be completed with the power of Creation? The children he'd left here had been safe; couldn't they have a good future?

Futomimi looked down from the star; it filled his head with strange thoughts about Creation. Should he try to meditate out here instead of within the holy land? As he was thinking it over, he noticed something moving out of the corner of his eye: a straw hat shifting on the ground, almost being blown away. He looked past that and saw someone lying on the ground motionless.

Images overlapped each other within his mind. This was a person he'd seen in his visions, the man who was divided from his true self. After retrieving the hat before it blew away, Futomimi crouched by him and put a hand on his back. A forbidden name, skimming across the depths of omniscience; there was a sense that this was the first blow in an unseen conflict. There was also a familiar feeling to him.

"You're one of us," Futomimi said quietly. This man looked more like a human than even himself, but his body was clay rather than flesh. In that case, he knew how to help. He'd found a way to heal himself with in prison, out of necessity. He knew how to use the spell for others, but there was a feeling that it'd only work for manikins. Placing both hands on him to be sure, Futomimi focused on healing him.

After a minute, he woke up. "What just happened?" he grumbled after sitting up, holding his head in his hands.

"I'm not aware of that," he said. "I simply found you here. I am Futomimi. Do you have a name?"

"Hijiri," he replied without hesitation. "Where are we?"

"Just outside of Mifunashiro. Don't you recognize it?" When Hijiri seemed puzzled, Futomimi tried to explain, "We came from this place with the emergence of the Vortex..."

Hijiri suddenly cringed and his whole self shifted. "Don't, please don't continue," he said in a weakened voice.

"Pardon?" Futomimi sat by him, trying to sense what was going on.

"You heard me?" he asked, tilting his head.

He nodded. "Yes. Are you his true self then?"

"You could say that," he said. "I shouldn't be communicating with anyone, it's been so long. So long on an endless task..." he suddenly laughed. "But maybe, I've found a loophole at last?" His odd smile rapidly faded into seriousness. "Hijiri was addressed with my name, that shouldn't happen. I must remain separate, because I must, and because the curse has become too much for a mortal mind to bear. Don't let him see the truth of himself, we must keep working."

It was hearing those truths that hurt Hijiri so bad. Futomimi nodded. "All right. You may still stay around Asakusa if you like; I don't think the others will notice."

"If I can get back to a terminal, I could have my way out," he said. Something made him look at him right then. "Actually, while I can speak with you, I recall reading about you. You're seeking a Reason for Creation on behalf of all manikins."

"Yes, even yourself," he said.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't be allowed a peaceful life; my task would drive my soul to another world in strife. The odds are stacked against you, but you've got more of a chance than I do. While I shouldn't be capable of this, I seem to have some time, maybe enough for defiance. Let me help you."

"There isn't much time," Futomimi said.

"Right. A name will be clearest out here under Kagutsuchi's light. You must begin by verbally agreeing to play by Kagutsuchi's rules. Be warned, that statement will be as binding as any contract. Breaking one of the rules will be punished and make your Reason less likely to be accepted."

Following his instincts, Futomimi placed his hands on his knees. "I don't know what its rules are."

"Of course you wouldn't, you're entering the game of Creation on minimal requirements. I believe you will be informed one way or another once you have a named Reason. If not, find Hijiri when I'm hidden again, he can help you look them up with the terminals. Agree to the rules, then think over the ideals behind your Reason."

Kagutsuchi didn't care... Futomimi didn't like it, but for the sake of his people, he could do this. "I agree to play by your rules, Kagutsuchi."

Even with his eyes half-closed, the blue light seemed to fill his mind, shifting thoughts... it was already examining him and his ideals. Though the light, he heard the other manikin speak again. "It may be harder to name a selfless Reason because it wants you to create your world. Don't let up. You are doing as it asks, yet defying it at the same time. This will be a harsh trial for you."

A world where his people could live in peace and safety. All who lived should be acknowledged as good to begin with, rather than assumed to be bad or worthless unless proved otherwise. A world where people all worked for the common good. Everyone has kindness inside them. Everyone; don't warp it into cruelty, don't allow pain to be a pleasure. I want to know what it is to love and be loved in the purest sense, not hated, not feared, not desired carnally. Love was the acceptance of others in spite of their flaws, unconditional.

Don't warp the ideal of love.

Why does something so right feel like it is going against the grain of the world?

The world... the world he most wanted to see come about... don't give up... the Reason behind this world is...

"J-J-Jiyuu."

* * *

Words of power rippled through the air; Chiaki could feel them now. A fourth Reason had been named; was it Ms. Takao? She wasn't sure how she felt about competing against her teacher. Chiaki hoped that they'd all see the greatness behind Yosuga and accept that she should win the rights of Creation.

When she had come to Asakusa to look for the Divine Messenger, she'd spotted Hikawa and a red dragon challenge a trumpeter. But it was very clearly not the Messenger since it was the Fiend Trumpeter, the angel from hell. Chiaki was amused to watch them fail completely at the battle. She would have dismissed such violence as horrible before Conception, but now she saw it as where a person's will and strength could truly shine.

Once Hikawa had fallen, she moved on to find the actual Divine Trumpeter. It was difficult because the angel insisted on hiding herself from sight. Chiaki had to rely on faint traces of radiance to locate her. "Divine Trumpeter, I know you're here," she said.

She appeared with a laugh, a pink-haired angel with a human visage, large white wings, and brass chains braided like a tasseled belt. A strange trumpet was in her left hand, much like what the Fiend Trumpeter had. "Hmm hmm, you're just in time. Hello, bearer of Yosuga. What are you seeking?"

Chiaki could just ask her to allow the gods to be called, but it would look better to Kagutsuchi if she solved its riddle without any doubts. "Before that, what is your purpose?"

"For now, allowing the gods to be summoned for the rites of Creation as the Divine Messenger," the trumpeter said. "More generally, I am to preach the words of God in apocalyptic times, to give the people one final chance to be saved. But I also sound the trumpet to begin such divine wars; I always hope I can save more than I must allow to perish."

That seemed enough to fulfill the requirement of finding the one of living revelations. But then, "You can trigger an apocalypse with that trumpet?"

She looked at it, tapping its long neck. "It's my trumpet. I use it for many things; it all depends on how I play it. A dirge, a lullaby, a requiem, praise of the Holy One, the orders of battle: I know many songs."

With that bit of doubt out of mind, Chiaki said, "I see. Well, I want to call upon the gods, so would you do your thing as the Divine Messenger?"

Trumpeter nodded. "Certainly. Four Reasons have been named; three Reasons are unnamed, in various degrees of indefinite form. There may be seven Reasons taken up to Kagutsuchi, there may only be the four. Whatever occurs in this stage of the rites will decide which Reasons are true and strong, and which Reasons are false and weak. Kagutsuchi, I shall play for you as your Messenger."

Facing the star of Creation, she played a powerful song that would echo throughout the Vortex World.

* * *

While climbing yet another staircase, the interior of the Obelisk suddenly reverberated with the song of a trumpet. Something about it made Naoki's horn tingle. It felt like something to be respected, not interrupted. All around him, the soul of the next world stirred as if trying to wake from a dream. It sought guidance, no longer knowing itself.

It took a few seconds after the song ended for those feelings to pass. "What was that?" Okuninushi asked. "It felt like a call to war, but not."

"Yeah," Naoki said. "I think the next stage of Creation is beginning with that song."

"That would be correct," Baphomet said. "Someone finally located the Divine Messenger. Although I do agree, that was a peculiar instrument to use for that rite. By that alone, I can tell there's something strange about that angel."

"It was certainly a powerful horn, even discounting where we are," Kushinada said.

"What's weird about that instrument?" Naoki said.

"If we felt it as a call to war, it is very likely to be an apocalyptic instrument. I'm surprised Kagutsuchi would allow such a thing into its realm."

The angels and fiends were already fighting over his soul, so Naoki wondered what that would change. They'd have to keep alert. For the time being, he still wanted to reach Yuko. That meant continuing to climb these stairs and elevators, fighting battles along the way.

They got near the largest of the moon phase puzzles yet when single monkey demon with a sword leapt down from a nearby column. "I challenge you, come on!" he called, waving his sword.

"You again?" Naoki asked, disrupting him from starting the fight.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" the onkot asked, readying himself to attack.

"We have fought a lot of these little guys," Kushinada said.

He rubbed his neck near his horn. "Right, but there's something different about this one. We've fought him three times throughout this tower, always on his own. What are you up to that you're forcing yourself to revive so rapidly, enough that I can recognize you from the rest?"

"Well I've beaten all the other onkots already," he said. "A lot of the other demons in this tower too, except the Moirae sisters. You guys are the other big challenge I've faced in a long while, so I'm gonna keep fighting you until I succeed!"

From the other encounters, Naoki had a feeling this was the third demon that Futomimi had mentioned, the small swordsman. But the onkot hadn't given them a chance to talk yet; Kagutsuchi was currently at its darkest, which might be affecting matters. Okuninushi looked down at the onkot with some admiration. "That's easy to imagine, but I don't think repeatedly losing is going to make you much stronger."

"But it might give him insight in how to win without needing more power," Naoki pointed out. "With the number of times I died to Matador and Daisoujou, I know that works."

"Well dying repeatedly does give you some insights," he admitted.

The onkot nodded. "Yeah, that's it! Although I do want to be stronger, I can find a way around any challenge, even you guys."

"If you want to get stronger, why don't you join us instead?" Naoki asked. "We're going to challenge the Moirae sisters once we find them and you are pretty good."

"Oh yeah?" the onkot lowered his sword, thinking.

"I'm not one of his followers, but I do see promise in his ways," Baphomet said, moving his fingers like he was plucking the air. "Come on, when the world is at its darkest, won't you seek to aide the Demifiend?"

"He's really the Demifiend, heir to Lucifer?" he asked, still unsure but swayed by Baphomet's words.

"I still have a long way to prove myself," Naoki said. And he hadn't decided on the matter either, but that could be left out of the discussion for now. "Which does include training myself and those who follow me to be stronger. I'm not worried about the Moirae, but if we have you along too, they'd have to really surprise us to win."

"You guys have been strong enough that I can believe that," the onkot said, then bowed his head. "Great, then it's decided! I'm Onkot of the Yoma clan, my sword is yours now."

This could be a fun battle now. "Thank you. I'm the Demifiend, I'm counting on you."

* * *

Appearing back in the world, Pascal tried not to be nervous. He had a new mission since Isamu had abandoned him. Did he really deserve this second chance? Kagutsuchi was kind to allow for it. Pascal had to give this his all, no, more than that since it hadn't been enough last time.

But first, Kagutsuchi had another objective for him. Sniffing the air and ground, he found a particular radiance of angels. There was also the scent of the girl Isamu had known, different than before. Pascal trailed the radiance until he heard the sound of chains shifting. Giving a bark, he called out, "Show yourself, Messenger!"

The Divine Trumpeter reappeared. "Hmm? Oh, hello little cutie! I don't believe I've seen you around before." She smiled and came over to try rubbing his chin.

That would be nice... no, he had to resist chin rubs. "I'm one of Kagutsuchi's servants, as you are!"

"I've already sounded the calling of the gods," she said, trying again.

Pascal backed off. "Yes, but why use a trumpet of the apocalypse to do so? The demons are already thick with schemes and the angels are on edge. That kind of chaos is not allowed within the birthplace of worlds."

"It's my trumpet," she said, showing it off with a twirl. "I got asked to be the Messenger, so of course I'm going to use my trumpet to do so. I thought it was as simple as that."

"You don't have any other instruments you could have used?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nope. I'm a trumpeter, what other instrument would I use?"

There was a sense in Pascal's mind, probably her's too from the look she had, of a sigh of resignation. "Well, it seems you can't be faulted for that," he said. "But be careful with that thing from now on. If things get out of hand, the soul of the unborn world could die."

"All right, I will," she said, giving a curtsey. "May I pet you now?"

"Err, no, sorry," Pascal said, wagging his tail at the offer. "I have things to do. Bye."

"Goodbye, little cutie," she said with a bright smile and small wave.

From where she was, it was just a short jog over to his main mission. There were two men standing out in the sands here; one was looking unwell, but it was the other that Pascal was looking for. "There's a terminal just inside here, you should be okay there," he said, then glanced down at him approaching.

Pascal wagged his tail. "Hello! I am Pascal of Kagutsuchi, here to protect you as the bearer of Jiyuu. Glad to meet you, Futomimi!"

He smiled as if relieved of some worry. "Ah, I see. Thank you, Pascal, although I don't mean to get into trouble." He even offered a chin rub as Pascal's armor didn't offer many places to pet.

This was good. Pascal would prove himself good; he would protect Futomimi from anything.

* * *

After many phases of Kagutsuchi, they finally arrived at the top section of the Obelisk. There were three floors that Naoki sensed. The one they arrived on was a large open ring, allowing the stream of magatsuhi to flow upward. In contrast, the remaining two were large flat floors with very little obstructing a battle. They found the three fate sisters on the middle floor of the area, playing a game of poker with a dis. "Are you copying chips, Clotho?" Lachesis asked, frowning at her.

"No," the one in white said, before glancing their way. She squealed and dropped her cards, scattering the stacks of plastic chips by her. "Aah, how did you all get up here?!"

"We climbed up," Naoki said.

"You knew he was here, you greeted him upon entering," Baphomet said, smiling to mock them.

"We had a great many puzzles set along the way to stop invaders like you," Atropos said, throwing her cards down in disgust. "Many of Nihilo's best were here too."

"The puzzles were boring, we skipped them all," Naoki said.

"Those demons really didn't seem like the best to me," Onkot said.

"Well we were going to play with you, but it seems like we have to get serious about this," Lachesis said angrily, getting to her feet with her sisters. The dis bowed out, heading to the edge of the room.

Naoki started off with Tornado, partly to clear out the cards and chips from the middle of the floor. The Moirae sisters worked together well; Atropos quickly raised their magic power, while Clotho healed and Lachesis pelted them with various spells. However, Naoki, Onkot, and Okuninushi all had Tarukaja to boost their physical attack power. One quick round of that and their charged attacks tore through the three fates. Kushinada, Feng Huang, and especially Baphomet were able to add to the fray well with their magic.

The sisters got healed up twice in quick succession. Clotho was a strong healer, but the second heal seemed oddly familiar... Sophia, there was a magatama in the room. And somehow, the dis back in the corner was using it to boost her abilities.

Without a second thought, Naoki snarled and left the Moirae to his followers and Baphomet. The dis took a couple steps back, willing to step off the edge onto the lower floor's ring to get away. He threw a Shock at her to avoid that before he could reach her. On a cord from her cape clasp, the magatama was uncoiling as if it'd just become aware of his presence too. Gaea modified his motions so that he put all his force from running into a punch to her chest, then grabbed the cord and yanked it off her. She'd died by the time he had Sophia in hand and swallowed it.

Instead of slipping into broken thoughts, Gaea and Kamudo pushed his awareness into that calm trance, letting him continue the battle without paying heed to Sophia settling in. Not that it took much longer. Without the dis giving them extra healing, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos couldn't match the six of them. Naoki's inability to give orders in this state didn't even matter since the demons with him could be trusted on their own.

Their souls remained, though, bright and raw with rage. "No, no, we can't let you win like this! We won't let you win!" They bound themselves together and reemerged as a golden idol bearing a twisted clock. Norn was far more powerful united than separate. "Your fate is to die at our hands and we will not alter that for any fluke! See how short your future is!"

_Kashima Naoki, this is what could be._

He didn't have the presence of mind to be surprised at that. The power of the fused fates was enough to warp time for a brief moment. In that moment, a dark figure emerged below the idol. The glowing markings were familiar, but this person wasn't the same as himself. It was another failed Demifiend.

Yes... that's me.

The Demifiend turned to him immediately and screamed like a feral beast, unleashing a far more devastating Tornado on everyone in the room, including himself. Naoki's magatama cut through his consciousness; something had to be done because the other's magical prowess was immense. "Daisoujou, keep us alive. Matador, Hell Biker, we need you."

Ignoring Norn and the appearing fiends, Naoki focused back on the Demifiend. His magatama tried unlocking more skills, find something to gain any edge with. Sophia had healing spells, but Daisoujou, Kushinada, and Feng Huang had that well covered now. Instead, Naoki needed to do as much damage as he could. Focus and... Chaos Blade, those seemed to be his best chance. His mind slipped back into the battle trance now that he had a plan for himself.

...I must kill you.

But the other's thoughts were invading his mind. The magatama resonated... wait, he didn't have Gaea. Nor Iyomante, Kamudo, or Murakumo. Little wonder, he was focused on magic. Ice was coming; Naoki flipped Miasma to the fore, not quite reaching the other yet.

I was abandoned. Even Kagutsuchi left me in disgust. I must kill you and prove myself to Lucifer.

Ice struck him to no avail. Norn wasn't nearby now. Other attacks had to be dodged; other demons had to be avoided. Just take out this one.

I can... I can do this? I doubted then too. I wasn't sure what was right, I couldn't decide. I-I was weak then too. I was scared of the monster I was becoming. It could have been over with, I could have at least restored the world. But I had no resolve and was abandoned entirely.

Naoki summoned a blade out of his own life and slashed through the other's body.

...kill me, please, I can't stand this anymore...

While Chaos Blade wasn't enough to finish the Demifiend off, Naoki willed the blade to remain in his hand to cut the other's head off.

...thank you. Don't become me. Take what little power I found for myself.

The trance dropped suddenly, leaving Naoki looking down at the human corpse in front of him. The glowing lines ignited, burning the other Demifiend's body and head to ashes. For some reason, he couldn't look away from that. His mind was filled with a different blankness, barely comprehending what he'd done. He'd killed someone human enough to leave behind a body that had to be burned away.

"Demi?" Okuninushi walked up behind him. "You okay? That was intense."

Naoki turned from the growing pile of ashes and checked over the others. They were all more tired than usual after battle. While it might have been from the climb, even Daisoujou, Hell Biker, and Matador seemed worn down. "Yeah," Naoki lied, trying to get a hold of himself. "How long was that? I didn't think it was taking much time."

"It felt long," Okuninushi said. "The Moirae were nothing to be concerned about, although Norn was far more trouble. But then there was that mimic you were focused on; he took a whole phase to take down."

"That was a grueling ordeal even if my only duty was healing," Daisoujou said. He'd set his bell in his lap to rub one of his hands.

"That was no mimic," Naoki said.

He did grant us a skill: Concentrate. We weren't aware of this one. It seems to work like Focus, but with magic instead. This could prove invaluable, so his sacrifice was worth it. He wanted to die, don't worry about him.

It was a frightening realization, that he really was a monster who could kill without a second's thought. But the other Demifiend had asked to be killed, or he would have killed Naoki. And if he didn't accept these truths about himself, he could end up just like him, a feral abandoned creature that neither heaven nor hell wanted.

You can't face Kagutsuchi full of fear and doubt, without resolve.

"That was quite a battle, but I wouldn't mind a long break after that," Onkot said. He'd even set his sword in his belt holder when he was always seeking a fight.

"It might be nice to drop back in to Nyx's Lounge to rest," Kushinada suggested.

"I have to get back to Shibuya anyhow, so that would be fine," Baphomet said.

"I'm going up to get Yuko out of here," Naoki said to them. "Leave that to me and we can go to Shibuya after."

They agreed to that. Even if he'd wanted to bring one up, the elevator block up to the top floor of the Obelisk was small, only enough for himself to stand on. On that floor, a ring of angled openings gave a wide view of the Vortex World as well as Kagutsuchi overhead. The room did not hold much, mostly a block pyramid dais in the center. In a dense stream of magatsuhi, Yuko hovered over the point of the dais upside-down. She was in a deep trance, tied into Nihilo's Nightmare System in order to keep the global flow of magatsuhi under their control. Somewhere nearby, the spirit of a butterfly demon hovered in waiting.

How did he get her out of this? He closed his eyes to sense deeper with his horn, to find a weakness. The flow of magatsuhi tied Yuko in place; its strength kept her from waking out of her trance. In her trance, she followed orders from Hikawa to direct the global flow as he wished.

To affect the flow of magatsuhi like this, you'll have to be in a trance yourself. Then pull it like strings to take her out of there.

"How?" Naoki asked quietly.

Then it happened just like before, parts of his mind shutting off to amplify what powers he needed. Unlike the battle trance, this didn't make him violent. Magatsuhi became sharply defined; he tasted it but wasn't allowed to retrieve identities of those tastes. His hands did not reach far around, but his mind still caught hold of the flow. Seeing Yuko bundled up with yarn, Naoki unlatched a couple strands to pull her closer, then untangled her. Once she was detached, the Nightmare System began to unravel. He helped that along so that the unnatural flow ended. Magatsuhi in the Vortex World shifted to his influence, starting to fill back in the desert around Ikebukuro.

Not long after Naoki left that trance, Yuko woke back up as well. "Naoki, you did come. Thank you."

"You okay?" he asked, quietly relieved that she didn't seem too shocked at his appearance now. Maybe she'd already known.

"I'm really tired," she said, putting a hand on the pyramid behind her. Naoki offered her a hand to help her stand up. "Hikawa drained me of my power to set up the Nightmare System. I wasn't to be anything more than a medium to the magatsuhi of the world, eventually a sacrifice."

"We should find somewhere you'd be safe from him," Naoki said, although he had no idea where to suggest. Yoyogi Park might work because the fairies were guarding it, but then they'd have to convince that clan to let Yuko stay with them.

"It won't matter," Yuko said, looking up towards the ring of skylight that let Kagutsuchi's light in here strongly. "Hikawa was badly injured while you were climbing this Obelisk; he won't be capable of much for a while. Besides, I have something now that he can't take from me. I found a god that even he does not know about."

Her magatsuhi didn't taste right, a tearful darkness that he'd never seen in her before. "Yuko?"

"I'll be fine, as long as I have Aradia," she said, her voice growing faint. Her self seemed fainter as well.

"Hey," Naoki said, taking her shoulder. What was happening to her?

Whoa, step back there. She's being taken by her god.

He did as his magatama suggested even though Yuko swayed like she might collapse. Something in the light shifted; a different power entered the room. But although the entity was there, it didn't feel powerful enough to be recognizable as a god. It didn't have a hundredth of the presence that Gozu-Tennoh had. It might have been nothing but a glowing butterfly.

Then Yuko's face was totally erased. A sickening shine spread across her head; her arm raised with the stiff jitteriness of a marionette. "You Fool of Chaos, do you have the hope to be the star's candle in the darkness of hell?"

"What?" he asked, confused by the question.

"Or do you seek to sever yourself from the strings of the malicious sprites?" Aradia asked. "Are you willing to brutalize your own heart for darkness or for life? You will lose all that you love no matter what path you follow."

"You let Yuko go," Naoki demanded. He didn't know what kind of god this was, but it was clearly insane.

Aradia drew Yuko's body back in a skid. "She called to me willingly. I responded. Do not fear, Fool of Chaos, I will protect her. Keep hope within your heart and you may find meaning to the senseless tragedy playing out around you. I mean you no harm. Take this as a sign of my gratitude for undoing this nightmare."

Something popped by his right ear. Vimana. Before he could properly react, the magatama got into his ear and blanked out his mind to what was going on.

There was the Demifiend who had been turned to salt. He grew to love fighting, chasing challenges across the Vortex World and feeling closest to something like Yosuga. While he felt like he was losing memories of his past, he didn't care. He kept growing powerful. He would not let anything hold him back, not even Lucifer. After repeatedly ignoring invitations into the labyrinth, he sought to show the demon lord that he did not need anything from him.

The blond child reacted in disgust and turned away. Powerful but useless, he should be abandoned. The angels captured the Demifiend's soul when he died and tried to make him suffer for his sins before deciding to simply eradicate him as an example.

There was the Demifiend who had been turned to ashes. He could not get over his aversion to fighting. When his friends called upon Reasons he couldn't agree with, he kept searching for one that he could. Being half-demon, he could not form his own. He avoided fighting whenever he could, even finding a way around Matador so he challenged no fiends at all. When the road to Kagutsuchi appeared, he went reluctantly because he did not know what else to do.

Well before that, Lucifer had given up on him and left. A Demifiend that would not acknowledge his demon side was completely unacceptable. Kagutsuchi could not believe that the only one to reach it was so uncertain; the star of Creation left and took its light with it. Left alone in a dark dead world, the Demifiend had nothing he could do but reflect on where he went wrong until he could barely think at all.

And there was...

...a version of himself, older and looking human again. He stood within a silent cathedral, looking out at a devastated city beyond. "Hmm?" He turned and looked right at where Naoki felt himself to be. His older self then stretched a hand out. "I wish to speak with you; please come."

"How do I...?" Naoki started to reach out, but the vision abruptly ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, that's the end for the bad ending Demifiend! Also, I did not come up with the name for Futomimi's Reasons; it was borrowed from a story here called Jiyuu by momijizukamori. That one had a good ending for the manikins, but it's not going to play out like that here.


	23. THIS CHAPTER TITLE HAS BEEN CENSORED

'I didn't choose this,' Naoki thought. 'I didn't choose to become this.'

How much of this was under his control? The magatama were taking over, making decisions for him. Or with him? He wasn't sure. Whether he was involved or not, the choices they'd made seemed sensible. Drop into a battle trance to block out whatever Sophia had to do to connect with the rest, step out of that briefly when they really needed back up against the failed Demifiend, take the extra step to make sure he was dead. It was right.

'I'm not a killer, but I killed him. He asked to die, so it should be fine. But still that's not... would I be able to do that if I was normal? Though I wasn't as normal and average as people thought I was; something about me had to get Lucifer's attention for him to choose me, but what? I wouldn't kill. But if they need it... how can you need to be killed? But he was left completely alone and was willing to kill me if it brought Lucifer back to him. It makes sense. No, it doesn't make sense.'

And if he made a bad decision here, he could end up like that Demifiend, alone and abandoned. Or he could end up like the other one, a captive of angels. Or maybe something worse.

'I don't want to be alone. She said I would lose everything I loved, but haven't I lost that already? And I never did anything to deserve that! But I'm contemplating things that could deserve worse. Even if I free my family, can I really be back with them? They're already faint in my memories; why? Is it the magatama? Or Lucifer...'

'I have Lucifer. He's kind of like Grandfather, I think. Looks like him... no he doesn't, what am I thinking? He abandoned the other two when they didn't meet his standards, even the one that was me who'd chosen to embrace all this violence. He could abandon me too... I don't want that. No, it shouldn't matter, he's supposed to be the original fallen angel, the leader of all that is evil. But then the angels have proven that being holy doesn't mean being good. It shouldn't make sense, but it's starting to...'

'Where am I anyhow? I think I should wake up and do something, this is getting me nowhere.'

A smoky relaxed atmosphere, muffled conversations, soft luxurious couch, wine and tea... right, he had fallen asleep in the backroom of Nyx's Lounge. While he was waking up, Naoki checked where his followers were. No one was in the room with him; they were all in the main lounge, along with Baphomet. Kagutsuchi was at 7/8 waxing; its power was part of what woke him. They should be able to move on soon.

But to what? He'd found all the others in the Vortex World: Isamu had lost it and went into the Amala Network, Chiaki was also losing sight of things in pursuit of her Reason, and Yuko was somewhere with a goddess he didn't trust. He could look for Yuko again. What would he say to her? She was counting on Aradia. Maybe he should find out more about the goddess before talking with Yuko. Yuriko might know.

He should get around to doing the Second Kalpa anyhow, which wouldn't take up actual time. He could check on the manikins in Asakusa, or he could find Hijiri. To keep up with their original deal, Naoki should tell him how things had been. The Reason bearers would be trying to summon their gods. Having been at the top of the Obelisk would have helped Yuko. But what was her Reason? For that matter, what about Isamu's? He doubted Isamu would have one that would restore the world. Perhaps Yuko... but then, she had helped to destroy the world.

So asking the two of them about their Reasons, but first completing the Second Kalpa; that was a reasonable plan for now. If he wasn't sure where to go, Asakusa was as good a place as any. There was also Baphomet's offer to keep in mind too, and Hijiri, and something about his future self if he could figure that out. Was that real? The other magatama had made him recall his memories. Supposedly they could not lie to him, but how would they know other times?

Hmm? We don't know, we don't choose what you see. It was in your mind.

In his mind? Lucifer didn't seem to know about the voice that spoke before those visions. But there wasn't much Naoki could do about that. Not sure of anything else, he got off the couch and went to meet with the others.

The demons were all sitting around a table drinking; they must have been at it for a while because the five of them were drunk, Baphomet most of all. How long did demons stay drunk? This could make the kalpa interesting, or more difficult than it should be. He picked up some tea from Nyx before going over to meet with them.

"I don't know, I've been leaving most of the thinking up to him," Okuninushi said.

"You're more of a thinker now than you ever were," Kushinada said with a teasing smile.

"It takes some getting used to," he said.

"Ah just waaait until you run into aaanother, you'll see," Baphomet said, waving it off.

"What are you talking about?" Naoki asked, coming to lean on the table since there wasn't an empty chair.

"Individuality, I think," Baphomet said.

"Oh, hello," Feng Huang said, head-bonking his shoulder in greeting. "We were waiting for you."

"Want some?" Onkot asked, offering the jug they had with a hiccup.

"No thanks," Naoki said.

"Are we heading out then?" Okuninushi asked. Naoki shook his head; he wasn't hungry, but he wanted to drink his tea.

"Thaaaat's good, I was going to do the summoning once Kagutsuchi was full," Baphomet said. "We should head over."

"You sure you should be summoning like this?" Naoki asked.

Baphomet nodded. "Sure, sure, I know what I'm doing. When the time is right, the time is right."

Was this like being a designated driver? Naoki didn't know much about summoning. He had been hoping for a distraction, though. Besides, it was to cause Hikawa trouble. This might be foolish, but then he'd done other probably foolish things and came out of them anyhow. "All right, let me make sure it's okay to take my tea."

"Hopefully my clients are still around," Baphomet muttered.

Strangely enough, his clients were a pair of manikins. They were outside, in the intersection that was no longer usable due to a lack of vehicles. "Dammit, where have you been?" one of them asked, waving an arm for emphasis. "We were just thinking that you'd cut and run!"

"Don't be so impaaatient," Baphomet said. "Summoning requires a greaaat attention to detail, or else something baaaaad may happen. A bit longer yet, when the light is brightest. I have everything I need now."

"Are you sure you should be summoning like this?" the other manikin asked, skeptical.

"It doesn't matter as long as we get the demon we're after," the first said. "I am so sick of being treated like an inferior being. If I could just be like Sakahagi, it'd be great! But I'm not, so we need this demon to beat up everyone who makes fun of us."

Baphomet chuckled, shifting his wings in satisfaction. "Don't you get it? Drunk summoning is the only waaaay to summon Mara. The only appropriate manner, in my opinion, the sober methods are silly. You all should be soused too, he's completely used to it."

"Does it count if most of us are?" Kushinada asked, giggling and making Okuninushi laugh too.

While he could be the sensible one here, Naoki smiled to himself and thought that this could be amusing. He wasn't too fond of dumb jokes, but this was too ridiculous to count as dumb. "I thought you said this would be educational," he said, trying to keep serious.

"It will be, just you wait," Baphomet said, then snapped his fingers a few times before taking out a note. "Oh right, we were going to talk about your summon chain after the Obelisk, but we all crashed after that."

Making a mental note to check with Mido, he nodded. "Yeah, you think they're trained enough?"

"Should be, should be." He waved over to the other four demons. "Next step, fuse the lady and bird together. You'll get, uh, one of those two in return, lady, bird, something."

"Ladybird?" Feng Huang asked, not walking straight.

"A ladybug?" Okuninushi asked in confusion.

"Something," Baphomet said. "For the guy, take two Jirae... you did have two Jirae registered?"

"Kodama and Hua Po," Naoki said, nodding.

"Good, fuse those two first, you'll get something special in most cases for fusing two of the same clan. Fuse that into him; it's a special fusion, ask Mido more if you're really curious. So then you'll have two pretty good demons out of that deal. Train them up, and, um..." he squinted at his notes, continuing to drift along instead of walking.

Naoki carefully took Baphomet's arm to keep from crashing into him. "You guys know where we're going?" he asked the manikins.

"Oh yeah, it's a back door place, just around the corner here," one of them said, trying to point out the turn.

"Damn, can't even read my own scribbles," Baphomet muttered, not bothered by being guided. "Aaaanyhow, one of them must learn something that I thought was greaaaat but the end demon won't have. Train the two, uh, you're clever, you'll notice the skill, some passive..."

"All right," Naoki said. Maybe it'd be better to ask when he was sober, but they'd be splitting ways after this summoning business.

"And then you fuse those two together. But that's a special fusion, I mean, even more special. Another one that can only be done under full Kagutsuchi, only way to get the end demon at all. Tell Mido that, I'm sure he'll know what's going on."

"I hope so," he said.

The place had no sign and anything of its previous residents had been put away. That left Baphomet's summoning area taking up the whole space. Unlike Mido's stark cathedral, this place was full of occult items: black candles on tall stands, a complex magical pentagram on the floor, four strange dolls arranged to one side. While he seemed like he might be more meticulous when sober, Baphomet quickly glanced over everything before taking out the materials he'd gathered.

As the two manikins were the only other sober ones in the room, Naoki talked with them. "Why'd you ask for Mara?"

"We didn't ask for anyone in particular, just a magnificent demon who could avenge our poor treatment," one said.

"The jerk at the Cathedral wouldn't help at all," the other said. "So we're going to beat him up too."

Somehow, Naoki doubted they could do much to the minister. He surely had lots of tricks up his sleeves. "You've got lots of anger."

The one shook his hand. "Yeah, I've always been angry! Now I'll get to do something about it!"

"I tried to help him fight demons, but it didn't work," the other said.

By the time Kagutsuchi reached its brightest, Baphomet was ready. "Just one more thing," he said, scratching his head. "There's not been neaaaarly enough innuendos for a summoning of the maaagnificent Maaaara."

"I expected that," Naoki said, shaking his head.

"Why's that?" the yes-man of the manikins asked.

"He's a Buddhist demon of temptation," he explained. "And just by the name, you've got to realize that he's going to be some kind of dick."

"Oh. So, what should we do?" He turned to the angry manikin.

"How should I know?" he asked back.

"I won't be much help," Naoki said. Even with Kagutsuchi's temptation, he was drawing a blank on trying to make intentional innuendos.

"Uh, wha?" Feng Huang asked, then hiccupped. Nearby, Onkot had decided to curl up and go to sleep rather than participate.

"What a weird crowd for this," Baphomet said, shaking his head.

"Well shouldn't you be prepared as the summoner?" Okuninushi asked him. Baphomet closed his eyes at that, not answering. "You were the one who invited us."

Kushinada giggled. "Well don't go limp out of pressure, you've got to get up boldly and push on with everything you've got."

"If you want a man with more vigor, we can still leave the summons and call forth our own sabbath," Okuninushi said, taking her hand and pulling her close.

"Isn't she your mother-in-law?" Naoki asked, making the two of them laugh. They were both shades, so not really but it was still part of their frames.

"That should be suitable," Baphomet said. He mumbled through an incantation, using the materials in directing magatsuhi to match the diagram on the floor. Despite being drunk, he was very accurate with his placements. The dolls and their pedestals were opening a passage to the depths of Amala; the diagram was like an invitation customized to the demon. Although given how close the Vortex World was to the Abyss, he wouldn't need as much power to complete the summoning.

The passage opened up, changing the quality of the magatsuhi in the room. The air warped as a powerful presence entered. There was a glint of gold heralding the appearance of an ornate chariot. And as he thought, Mara himself was a giant green dick. "Hey, what kind of fun are we going to get up to?"

"Hey Mara, nice to see yaaaa again," Baphomet said, then waved over to the manikins. "Those two are the ones who wanted you."

"Whoa, that's not what I expected," the yes-man of the pair said.

"But it doesn't matter as long as he's strong enough to win," the angry one said. "We want you to beat up a lot of people for us!"

"What for?" Mara asked.

"They make fun of us and will beat us up just because," the angry manikin said.

"Yeah, what he said," the other said, clumsily clapping his arms in lieu of nodding.

Rolling his eyes, Mara said, "Really, that's it? And you asked for me for that?"

"Yeah," the angry one said, although he didn't seem sure of things now.

"I'm perfectly fine with doing that sort of thing if you're going to fight somebody over someone else you want to bang," Mara said dismissively. "Or if you're lusting after the person you're fighting, that's great too. But if it's got nothing to do with sex, I don't want any part of it."

"Aw come on, we paid good macca for you," the angry one said. But even he wasn't reckless enough to fight Mara.

The green demon laughed. "Normally I'd be flattered, but no."

"Actually, you barely paid anything for this kind of summoning," Baphomet said, rubbing his snout. "I just wanted to do it. If you're not saaatisfied with my work, then try making contracts yourself or dealing with the cathedral minister."

"Well this sucks." The two manikins then decided to shuffle out.

"Baphomet, you're a weirdo," Mara said.

"Whaaatever," he said, waving it off as his head drooped. He might fall asleep at any moment.

"So, what about you guys?" Mara said, looking down at them. "I don't think Susano-o is around here, but we can always call on him for a nice brawl."

"Uh, no, not this time," Okuninushi said, his face turning red. Kushinada shook her head too.

Like Baphomet, Naoki didn't think he could make a proper contract with Mara. He wasn't sure if he'd want to either. "Well Baphomet did mention something about troubling Hikawa with you," he said.

The goat demon came briefly alert again at that. "Ooooh yeaaaah, there's that. Mara, babe, this guy Hikawa, he was my last summoner but he ditched me cause I wouldn't kill this boy. He wasn't the Demifiend then, but I could still tell he was gonna be here in the Vortex World. And, uh..." he rubbed his chin, "right, that was it. Hikawa was the one who orchestrated the Conception event, but he chose the excessive blood sacrifices route."

"WHAT?!" Mara bellowed, staring at Baphomet.

"No sex at all and I'd be the one who'd know that kind of thing," Baphomet added.

"Oh thank god," Naoki said quietly, putting a hand on his head. He hadn't thought about it that way, but given the titles of Lord and Maiden of Conceptionâ€¦ yeah, this was a good thing to hear.

"How dare he," Mara growled. "Of all the rituals to keep sex out of, why do that with triggering the process of Creation? I don't get why that's even an option. I'd screw that guy over badly just for that reason."

"Ain't fighting him," Baphomet muttered, then pointed at Naoki. "He is."

"Hmm." Mara wheeled a bit closer, looking him over. It was really strange, but Noaki looked back at the powerful demon. "I'd love to help someone after this Hikawa on hearing about this. But, you are the Demifiend. I helped out once, but then Lucifer forbade me from doing so again. Never did figure out why."

"I wouldn't know," Naoki said.

"You are overwhelming to most folks," Baphomet said, getting drowsy again.

"But I still want to help punish Hikawa for his prudishness," Mara said. "Hmph, you know what? Baphomet, give this guy my medium. Since I wasn't called for any reason in particular, I'll allow you to summon me once when you fight against Hikawa. Demifiend, I hope you become even stronger so we can squash the guy into total embarrassment in death."

"I'll be glad to do that," Naoki said, going over to take the small chariot wheel from Baphomet.

It took him a moment, but he passed the charm over. "Is simple cause I already did this," Baphomet said. "Hold the thing and call on his name when the time is right. Mara will come right to you and obey you for that one battle no matter the difference in power between the two of you. You'll need a more certain agreement to use the medium after that."

"I think I can do something for the meantime, out of thanks for calling on me to let me know," Mara said, then closed his eyes and made some odd noises while he focused on something. After half a minute, a white orb appeared. "Hmm, I wanted to get another of your magatama, but someone else has a tight grip on it. This one suits us fine, here you go."

"Thank you," Naoki said, accepting the slumbering Muspell from the orb. "Who has the other?"

"Some fellow in the frost family who calls himself Heeho," Mara said.

"He has another one?" For a moment, he felt angry. But no, it must have been sometime after they met in Ikebukuro. Heeho wasn't strong enough to eclipse the presence of a magatama like the Moirae or Gozu-Tennoh. "Where is he?"

"In Kabukicho Prison," Mara answered. "He seems to have tapped into its powers somehow, which is extraordinary for a low tier demon like him."

"Well he will give it up or he'll be nothing but a snow drift," Naoki said. Mara seemed pleased with that for some reason and left with nothing more said.

* * *

Being outdoors in the Vortex World was unpleasant; the strange blue light felt overwhelming. Fortunately, Hijiri was able to get indoors and to a terminal quickly. "Thanks again, Futomimi," he said to the person who'd healed him from whatever made him pass out.

"It's no trouble," the manikin prophet said. He rubbed one of his ears then. "You should be careful. There's an extraordinary force pulling at your soul now even if you can't feel it. If it gets control, you could lose your mind."

Was there? "Do you know anything more about this force?" Hijiri asked. "I can't use magic, but I do know some defensive measures."

In the way he hesitated, it seemed Futomimi wasn't sure of speaking the truth. "If you know the nature of this force, it will have a greater affect on you."

"The unknown has a powerful influence in terms of the supernatural," he pointed out.

He bit his lip. "Yes, but this would actually be more negative against you if you knew."

_I'm not going insane, no, do you have any idea what it's like to finally see the end of this road? Do you?!_

"You are your second worst enemy," Futomimi added, then shuddered. "Ah, your worst enemy... I see. I wish that you can find peace some day. That's all I can safely tell you."

The best thing he could do was not stress out over this, Hijiri reflected. Futomimi was a real prophet; he'd already seen that in things he'd read on the terminals. He was even a Reason bearer now, as evidenced by the servant of Kagutsuchi that now accompanied him. As for himself, he needed to check back into what Hikawa was doing, Nihilo's defenses, and seeing what Naoki was up to.

_Just take control of the network before that jerk Isamu does. I need control of that network; I don't care if achieving my goal completely crushes my mind. It'll finally be over. I didn't deserve this fate, I just want it to be over!_

You could find out anything with the Amala terminals; they were connected to so many worlds. Hijiri turned his hat in his hands, feeling his thoughts race at the sight of this one. It was... it must be like discovering fire, or the wheel, something plain and simple that changed everything. Was it the Network that Futomimi had been trying to warn him about? Naoki had thought it was dangerous too.

_Not, it's me. I would overtake you in a second if I could. You're protected from what I know, the only means I have of communicating reasonably with others. Maybe even sanely, ah, they wouldn't understand. Not even you would understand, and I don't want you to understand. But I want to be the network. Wouldn't that be cutting counter, right, even You couldn't do anything to curse me worse!_

No, the Network was a tool, something _I need_ he needed in order to have an advantage in a world where he had nothing.

Maybe it would be faster if he figured out how to manipulate it even better than Isamu had.

_Yes, please do._

* * *

Sakahagi could not say how he knew to sew flesh. It was some kind of magic. Once he had the new piece in hand, he could bind it to the other pieces he had. His coat was looking good now. But, what would he do with any further trophies? Especially if he could figure out how to take parts off demons. All the magatsuhi he had absorbed from other manikins had to be making him powerful enough to start taking out them. Maybe some pixies for their wings, or oni for their horns. Or even the incubus for their...

A sharp bark interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, hey, what are you doing here?" an inugami asked.

"Oh good, I wanted a different target," Sakahagi said, then threw a Shock at it. He quickly followed up with his knives.

Unfortunately, the inugami disappeared entirely into magatsuhi when it died. "Too bad, I would've liked to see what a coat of their hides could do," he muttered to himself. He was able to absorb some of the magatsuhi, but it was nothing like the amount he could get out of a murdered manikin. Where had they all gone? With the Mantra destroyed, Sakahagi had been sure that some others would still be hanging around here. They were dumb like that, most of them.

And someday, he'd be powerful enough to make that ugly pest Futomimi suffer for his words.

"Who are you?" a deep voice called from somewhere... overhead? A dark presence was filling this area around the stairs. The torches all flared up as if finding new fuel.

"Who are you?!" Sakahagi challenged back. He looked up and saw no one. Around, no one. But that presence was growing greater.

"You are not like the other dolls," the deep voice said.

"And you'd better not mistake me for any of them," he said. "I'm Sakahagi; I will grow stronger, enough that I can flay even you. So who are you?"

The voice chuckled. "Such spirit, but you have a long way to go to match me. I am Gozu-Tennoh. I am merely a spirit right now, existing on hatred and seeking revenge. But no death can put an end to me. I seek one who will fulfill my hatred and you have promise for revenge."

Frowning, he looked at his knives as they were more important. "Hmph, I will not be anyone's hit man. I fight for myself, only myself. You would merely claim the profit and glory when I do all the hard work."

"I would bestow my power onto one who could assist me. You still have the potential for Reason, although time is running short on your chances to claim it."

"A Reason?" He brought out a whetting stone to begin sharpening his blades. They needed to be constantly and consistently sharp to match his wishes.

"A Reason is a seed for Creation, the cause of a new world to follow," Gozu-Tennoh said. "You could start a new world with yourself as an emperor."

"I don't need that kind of power," Sakahagi said, irritated at the offer. "And I don't need your power, whatever that may be. I will make my own power. If I make my own world, it would be my world, not derived from anyone else." He ran the stone against the edge. "Not even a god."

"You need the power of a god to have the power over Creation," he said. "As it is right now, you can't even command demons."

"Is that what you think?" he said. "I will find a way. They will see the blood I shed and they will worship me."

That finally angered Gozu-Tennoh. "You may be different, but you are still a mud doll. You could not gain that much power, not even if you claimed an artifact like the Yahirono Himorogi from the fairies in Yoyogi Park. You wouldn't even be able to lay a hand on it as you could not defeat even the simpering fairies."

"Hmph, like I care what a dead god thinks," Sakahagi said, continuing his task. He ignored anything more that Gozu-Tennoh tried to say, then walked off once he was satisfied with the sharpness of his blades.

But still, it gave him some thought. This Himorogi thing was some powerful artifact, huh? And it was only fairies guarding it, something that could gain him the power to control demons, even gods. There was something about it that felt real, like the blue light of Kagutsuchi would reveal truths and lies through the vast skylights over the stairs. Which was ridiculous, even if it felt so real.

"I was thinking of hunting fairies next anyhow," Sakahagi said to himself, tucking his knives away. "Might as well look into this Himorogi thing. I will get the demons to worship me, perhaps even the humans of a new world. Hmm..."

Unseen by the violent manikin, an angel watched over him and heard his words. She put the lily she kept to her lips. "Good, good. Then you will be the evil to test the resolve of our new representative. The Demifiend is still too unpredictable, but you should do as I hope."

She then vanished, off to watch the girl in the same unseen manner.

* * *

When Yuko woke up, there was a glass of water and some bread on a milk crate nearby. She was lying on a couch in what appeared to be a break room. Tables were folded up by the walls and a pair of vending machines were near the door. On a corkboard nearby, old notices and ads were pinned up from whoever had worked here, wherever here was. Blue light spilled in from long windows overhead, falling over the couch she was on.

A group of blue-green butterflies flitted about the room. "I manifested what I could," they said in Aradia's voice. "I know not how to operate these machines."

"Thank you," Yuko said. It was good enough for now; she wasn't sure if the vending machines would work without power. "What now?"

"You need to recover." Aradia said. "After that, you may negotiate with the fairies here to find the Yahirono Himorogi. It is somewhere here in Yoyogi Park."

"It'll open the road to Kagutsuchi," she said, recalling that from the scriptures. "But, what's the name of my Reason? I have you as a goddess to represent me, but I need to know the name."

"The name will come to you, from within you," Aradia said.

"That doesn't make it any clearer," Yuko said.

"I believe in you."

She wouldn't say anything more, so Yuko was left with the humble meal and her thoughts. The bread was rough and full of seeds, presumably to provide more nutrients. As for the water, it'd be generous to call it cool and refreshing; it held off thirst and little more. The couch had a cheap cushion that creaked a bit any time she shifted her weight. Still, it was better than being lost to depths beyond human knowledge and hardly able to realize herself within it.

What was the name of her Reason? She had a god sponsoring her, so she had to have a Reason of some sort. Yuko wanted the world to be better. Of that, she was sure. But how? She didn't like how a chosen few who met specific ideals rose to glory while nearly everyone else felt like they fell through the cracks for being flawed. And of those chosen few, there were tales that even they felt lost and unworthy. Yuko wanted a world where people didn't feel like that.

Beyond that... she wasn't sure. What was it about the old world that made people feel lost in darkness when others saw them shine? It was a hard question to answer when she knew that she suffered from the same bias as well. Students admired her and her friends seemed to think well of her. However, Yuko always felt like they were only seeing a false part of herself. Even of those who knew... she'd been married once and almost had a child of her own. But her body had failed and everything came apart as a result. The school hadn't questioned things when she asked for medical leave in the first week of a new school year, when she was actually meeting with Hikawa to prepare for the Conception. After all, she'd taken such leaves before.

In all the time spent with therapy and in hospitals, she saw how widespread such silent suffering was. She was almost lucky in that people seemed to be more mindful of her knowing what had happened. But it didn't take an irreversible tragedy to make people suffer with sorrow. It shouldn't take such an extreme to get help. If only there was something people could keep a solid faith in, to know things could be okay even in uncertain times.

But whatever God was out there had allowed for something like Conception to exist. That was not a god who would care about what mortals suffered with. Aradia cared; she wanted to give people hope. While she could do a better job in a new world, it was no good until Yuko had a name to present to Kagutsuchi.

What was the name of her Reason? What were the ideals that she could just barely grasp?

And, was she really worthy of such a power as Creation?


	24. Not The Intended Route

Mido was polite as always, bowing when Naoki entered. "How may I help you today?"

"I've got some vague ideas from Baphomet, but would you clarify what all he might have meant?" he asked, coming right up to the steps.

After a short sigh, the minister replied, "He was drunk summoning again?"

"Yes, and I need to know if that's going to affect any fusions too." He glanced at the four with him; Okuninushi and Kushinada laughed at that while Feng Huang was starting to get drowsy. Onkot was grouchy from being woken up and was almost asleep again.

"There is an increased risk of a fusion accident, but not by much," Mido said. "I should have guessed he'd do that. Here, why don't we get your demons some water and time to see if they sober up?"

"I'd rather not take up too much time as I've learned where one of my magatama is," Naoki said.

After putting a hand to his cheek, he replied softer, "Feng Huang at least needs the water to cut the risk, then we can cut it further by putting them to sleep. Holy, Kinshin, Lady, Yoma... right, their clans have no particular risk additions to accidents and the full Kagutsuchi is past."

It felt like he was toeing a line, but given how many steps Baphomet wanted him to take, Naoki agreed that cutting risks was the sensible thing to do. "All right, let's do that."

Once they had the demons off to the side trying to sober up a little, Mido brought him back to the fusion chambers and called out the compendium. "What were you able to get out of Baphomet?"

"I'm supposed to fuse Kushinada and Feng Huang to get either another woman or bird demon," Naoki said.

The minister raised an eyebrow at that. "Ah, I think I get it."

"Then you're already ahead of me," Naoki joked. "After that, I'm supposed to call out the two Jirae I have to fuse them into something special, than do some special fusion with that result and Okuninushi, and then finally some even more special fusion with the two results at full Kagatuchi. But only after the two demons had been trained up to get some passive skill that the final demon won't have."

"Oh yes, that is exactly how one would get..." he flipped through the compendium, thinking. "Yes, that would be quite a beneficial fusion chain for you as long as you don't mind your group getting pared down to two followers."

"I have contracts with three other Fiends at this point that I can call on whenever I like," he said. "And due to the clan's game here, I could gain contracts with others. So that's no issue."

"And your Onkot can grow into another rare demon," Mido said. "His line grows in physical prowess, but your chain with the others will result in a potent... magician."

"Then what exactly am I doing with Okuninushi's part of the chain?" Naoki asked. "The other two seems simple enough."

"In this case, I don't mind showing you some demons you don't have registered," he said, shutting the book. When he placed his hand on the cover, a blue seal briefly appeared. Mido then opened it back up to a page that seemed like it'd been referenced often. "Here, this section contains clan listings. And this here is the Elemental Clan."

Looking at the tome from his side, he saw colorful illustrations of creatures that seemed more symbolic than anything that could live. "The name's fitting."

"An Earthys is what will result from the Jirae fusion," he explained, pointing out the yellow golem-like demon. "Elementals cause an unusual reaction in demon fusion. As you may have noticed, fusing two different clans tends to result in a demon of a third clan. When you use an Elemental, however, it ranks the other up or down within their clan. I met you with a high pixie; did she evolve from a pixie?"

Naoki nodded. "Pixie was the first demon I had a contract with."

"Within the Fairy clan, a high pixie is several ranks over a pixie. But, one of these lower ranked Elementals would be enough to evolve a pixie into a jack frost since that's the next rank up. Although you couldn't fuse any further down from a pixie, as they're of the lowest rank within the clan."

"So what I'm doing is moving Okuninushi's rank as a Kinshin up or down a level," Naoki said.

"It will rank him up," Mido said. "In fact, you will end up with Mikazuchi. From Feng Huang and Kuninushi..." he ran his fingers along the page even though it was still open to the Elementals, "you will end up with the Avatar Yagatarasu. If you simply fuse those two together, you will end up with a somewhat normal demon, albeit very strong. But what Baphomet is suggesting is that you use a sacrificial fusion to unlock an entirely different demon."

"Sacrificial fusion?" He already didn't like the sound of it.

Mido nodded. "It may seem cruel because you have a good empathy for your demons. But many demon summoners view their demons as tools. Sacrificial fusion is a quick method to building a new demon's power as soon as they appear. One demon is sacrificed to contribute their power and life to the other two, who are then fused into one far more than the other three. However, it can only be done by the full moonlight, or full Kagutsuchi here."

"But what kind of demon would need a sacrifice simply to appear?" A cruel one like Gozu-Tennoh, most likely. Why did Baphomet think it would be good for him? Naoki might be able to dismiss it as something he couldn't understand in not being a full demon. But Mido seemed to think it was a good idea too. Maybe the minister wasn't as sane as he seemed.

"In your case, a goddess," he answered.

"Kushinada is already a goddess and both Okuninishi and Mikazuchi are gods," Naoki said.

"Yet these shades are ordinary demons," Mido said. "The one you can call on would be a shadow too. But, it is like with your own clan. This is someone who needs special ceremony to call on at all. My methods as the minister of the Cathedral of Shadows are far more simplified than traditional means, such as what you saw with Baphomet calling on Mara."

Don't worry, Naoki. Aren't you curious about what follower you'll end up with? Demons are used to the idea of sacrifice.

He didn't want to move too far away from his humanity. And yet, he really was curious what was going to happen. Similar curiosity had already gotten him a deal with Mara, to some extend Baphomet as well. Besides, most people who were demon summoners using Mido's services had to be humans. A demon summoner like Baphomet didn't need the cathedral and might only use it for convenience. This wasn't too far out of line.

"I'll think about it," Naoki said. "But I'll go ahead with fusing for Yagatarasu and Mikazuchi today."

* * *

He'd made a mistake. His rivals were going to spring on every opening to get ahead now that he couldn't do much. But they'd see. Hikawa was at his best when challenged. He could turn any loss into a gain; he had many plans already in place that he simply had to set in motion. He knew far more about the situation then they did. And if they thought they could win, he'd show them that he'd stop at nothing to make sure they didn't, even strangling the life out of them.

No, hold on. He didn't need to get that drastic, not yet. He wasn't even in condition to be that physical, even if it was tempting. That silenced people like nothing else. For now, he'd have to rely on manipulating demons and the situation of the Vortex World to keep a strong holding. Hikawa opened his eyes and sat up; he needed to assess where he was first.

It didn't take him long to recognize the lobby of the Diet building. The lofty grand room was impossible to mistake for anywhere else. Due to the large windows and decorating scheme, the light of Kagutsuchi seemed warmer in here. Hikawa had been left on the tiled floor near a dark statue. That might be due to the one who brought him here, one who wouldn't have a strong grasp on human habits.

Samael soon showed himself, flying down from the upper hall. "Ah, you're awake again. The healer said you should take things easy for a while; you need to recover."

"What exactly hit me?" Hikawa asked. He recalled a trumpet's melody as the last thing he'd noticed before blacking out.

"A deadly melody from that trumpeter's instrument," Samael said. "You had a homunculus on you, didn't you? But it wasn't of good quality since you barely survived that."

"It will take a lot of work to get another," Hikawa said. He'd made that one himself; maybe his supplier had given him bad materials.

"The fiend probably won't bother us again, but I needed somewhere safe to take you," the dragon said.

"What about the Obelisk? I'd like to try out some things with the Nightmare System."

Sameal flicked his tail. "The Nightmare System has fallen apart. The Demifiend had entered the Obelisk when you fell, so I could not take you there. While I haven't heard the details, it seems the Moirae sisters were defeated and the Maiden taken from her position."

"I'll need to study that infiltration," Hikawa said, summoning up his terminal key. That had been his best tool for keeping control in this world. However, he was here in the Diet Building. He could still regain control.

Another fallen angel entered the lobby then, a beast bound by a serpent. Despite the appearance, Mitra was a powerful demon. "Good to see you again, Hikawa." He bowed as best he could.

Nodding back, Hikawa said, "Hello, Mitra. Are you in control here?"

"Somewhat. I've split the territory of this place with three others."

"I don't believe the other three are those you've had contact with," Samael said. "At least they don't recognize you as anything more than a Reason bearer."

"The lobby's shared, but you're welcome in my portion," Mitra said.

"Good, I'll need to speak with the others then." Hikawa closed his eyes and considered his current condition. If Mitra was sharing territory with these others, they had to be of or around equal level with each other. Samael might be able to cower them, but it'd be better to deal with the others when he could get around this large building on his own. "Later; I'm going to look into what's going on and find a way to put it all back in my favor."

"I'll be nearby," Samael said.

* * *

On entering the prison again, Naoki found it quieter and colder. A frosty mist hung in the air. As it bit into his bare skin, Naoki shifted Miasma to the fore. That made him feel more comfortable in these near freezing conditions. What magatsuhi had been here was mostly gone, either dispersed or taken by another demon. He had a feeling it'd turn out to be the latter.

Three demons accompanied him this time. Mikazuchi kept near him, ready to draw his sword at any threat to them. While he didn't have armor like Okuninushi had, he had a natural toughness that seemed just as good. Onkot hopped around the debris and surveyed the area. He was still hoping for a challenge, although that would depend on how well Heeho connected to the magatama. And flying nearby, Yagatarasu kept an eye on Onkot in case he got in trouble. She was a three-legged black crow now, which Naoki expected save for how she was still identifying as female. Although that didn't matter all that much; she was still one of his trusted followers.

"Doesn't seem like anyone's around," Onkot said.

"There's only some ghosts on these lower floors," Naoki said. "But there's a group of jack frosts with Heeho on the top floor. He feels a lot different than before, stronger."

"That's not about to stop us," Mikazuchi said.

"Of course not."

Unlike normal, it got colder the further they climbed up the stairs. By the time they reached the top floor, there were icicles overhead and some slick patches on the floor. A jack frost met them at a doorway. "Ho there, stop! You're entering the presence of the emperor! Show some hee ho respect!"

"We'll see about that," Naoki said, getting a sense of things in the other hall. "Fire's actually useless this time around, along with ice, expel, and death. No weaknesses and he is respectably powerful."

"Sounds fun," Onkot said.

"Yeah," he agreed. Fighting was a normal thing in the world, and it seemed better to focus on that rather than his desire to tear this emperor down for stealing his magatama.

"What the hee are you talking about?" the jack frost asked, suspicious of them.

"Never mind, we're going to see your emperor," Naoki said. "I claimed this prison before and I'll reclaim it again."

"Hah, then you shouldn't have left! Go on in and try it."

The ice work within this hall was actually impressive. The debris from this building's time as a school and a prison had been cleared away, allowing the frosts to redesign it with ice to be something more palatial. At the end, the wall blocking off the club area had been knocked away in favor of sparkling arches and a glacial throne, all with spiky snowflake patterns.

Heeho sat in the throne; he was definitely no jack frost. His snow had turned pitch black as a giant black frost. While he had similar clothes to the jack frosts, they had turned a dark purple with demonic patches. He still had a large smile permanently on his face, but his eyes had changed. Actually, it reminded him of his cousins' drawings of what they thought mean faces were. Heeho was darker and affected by the magatama Satan, but there was still something adorable about how he ended up.

Being adorable wouldn't be enough to save him. Heeho leaned forward on his throne on seeing him. "Well well, hee ho hello to you, Demi! I'm glad to see you come around because I wouldn't have gotten to this point without your help and encouragement."

"Hello Heeho," he replied, approaching. The lack of debris was good, as well as the missing wall. The slick parts of the floor could be a problem; he just needed to keep alert, and trust his two fighters to keep their footing.

"Isn't this great?" Heeho said, still excited over his transformation. "Once I overcame fire, it wasn't long before I became powerful, even cuter than before, and absolutely hee-evil. I'm going to conquer everybody else with winter and make the next world mine! I will use that to steal everybody's left shoe, mess up traffic lights, and make everybody act like goofy animals if they don't want to face my hee-licious wrath!"

"That's nice, but I have an objection," Naoki said, looking him right in the eyes. "You're only as powerful as you are because you have one of my magatama. I will have it back."

"WHAT?!" He beat both of his arms on the throne, knocking off some ice from it. "No way, no way, no fucking way! This is my power now, not yours! On the contrary, you will give up yours instead."

"You don't stand a chance at that," Naoki said, angered as well. He stepped back and waved his two fighters ahead. "Get him."

"No, you don't!" The jack frosts in the room hurried to Heeho's sid as he blasted them all with ice. It did nothing to Naoki and none of his followers were weak to ice, although it was still powerful enough that Yagatarasu decided to start off with healing.

Leaving the front of the battle to Onkot and Mikazuchi, Naoki used Concentrate to focus his magical powers. It had a different feel than Focus, building within his mind rather than his muscles. Then he cast Tornado. Since he was working with his magatama this time, it didn't affect his group at all. The jack frosts were immediately blown away; one of them flew out a window before dissolving away. It even broke the ice throne.

"Hoo, you're going to suffer now!" Heeho called, right before a red flash came from his eyes. The whole room seemed to slow down, but nothing changed with Heeho. The black frost filled the room with fire instead, strangely cold but it knocked Naoki back with the force of it. In the time that Naoki tried to get his footing, Heeho had called up a new squad of jack frosts, let the four of them attack Onkot and Mikazuchi, then summoned up a snowflake staff to send a powerful blow to all of them. It felt like someone had slugged him in a blind fury; Naoki gritted his teeth and clung to his life as best he could. Time returned to normal and let them act again.

Bad one, that was Dragon Eye. It lets him and his allies act with impunity for a brief time. More troublesome to us, that last attack was Satan's strongest skill. Don't let him talk! He could be more dangerous if he gets a chance to con the others into breaking their contracts, and Satan would be the one capable of that.

That was a risk he didn't want to take. While Yagatarasu healed them again, Naoki called to the other two, "Focus on Heeho, ignore the jacks!" He threw another Tornado, this one not concentrated. It was still enough to take out the jacks.

As that led to another close call with Dragon Eye, Naoki decided that he should ignore the jacks too. That worked, thankfully; as long as he had his posse, Heeho didn't see a reason to use Dragon Eye even though it gave him a huge advantage. Their group could easily keep up with them, even at times when Heeho used his fire magic as Naoki was weak to it. He relied on concentrated Shocks while Onkot and Mikazuchi had found a good rhythm in trading focus and single target attacks.

Just like Mizuchi, Heeho lost his increased size as they continued to beat him down. He got to be no larger than the jacks with him. "I am not giving this power up!" he insisted, stamping his foot down.

"You've been a good foe, but I'm not letting you get away with it," Naoki said. He was concentrated and Heeho couldn't take any more blows. "Goodbye." He cast Tornado this time, taking out all of them in a flurry of snowflakes.

"Hah, that's how a fiend would end things," Mikazuchi said, proud of him.

"Yes, but are you all right with that?" Yagatarasu asked.

Apparently her new form gave her a better understanding of him as a human. Naoki would have appreciated that earlier. As it was, it was reassuring but a reminder that he was changing. "Of course, I am a fiend," Naoki said, going over to retrieve Satan.

That was sixteen out of twenty-four. As such, it caused a brief disorientation in his senses as it connected with the rest, but Naoki wasn't affected more than a few moments where he needed Mikazuchi to help keep himself balanced. He noticed what the others had been worried about: Satan had a passive increase for charisma. He still saw Heeho as likable even in this supposedly evil form. If he'd tried to persuade Naoki's demons to his side, he might have succeeded. Most likely with Onkot, but perhaps even the other two.

What was he going to be capable of if he was more charismatic than he naturally was? It would be easier to convince other demons into making contracts with him. But there could be so much more. Charisma was a far more flexible kind of power than being able to defeat someone in battle.

"Well then, where to now?" Yagatarasu asked when they got outside the terminal room.

"The Amala Labyrinth so we can complete the Second Kalpa," Naoki said. "Things are unclear past there, but I do want to get you all more training and that's our best place for that."

"Where is that?" Onkot asked.

"It's a place set up for Demi's training," Yagatarasu explained. "And you must know that to truly be the Demifiend, he needs to be a lot more powerful."

"Like the guy in the Obelisk? Yeah." Onkot grinned. "This'll be great!"

"I have to be figuring out where the other fiends are to challenge them too, but I'd like to be more powerful too for facing them," Naoki said, trying to ignore the reminder of that Demifiend's death.

"You certainly made the right call in sticking with us," Mikazuchi said.

"Oh yeah, this is what I've been looking for," Onkot said, excited. The three demons at least were in a good mood as they went back down to the terminal room.

Once Naoki had his hand on the top of the Amala drum, the destination mark for the labyrinth appeared. He accepted that for his destination. But it wasn't long into the transfer that he felt something was going wrong. He got drawn in a different direction and dropped into the Network, far deeper inside than he had been before. That hall had been a shore on an ocean of knowledge: this was right in the waters, with currents that tried to drag him deeper. As the network was a flow of knowledge, Naoki attempted to use Concentrate to focus his mind out of it.

"I wasn't going to call on you yet," a familiar voice said. "But I have to know: where are you going? The demons that were with you went there, but where is there?"

It was Isamu, but it wasn't Isamu as Naoki had known him. His clothes had been shredded as if he'd been through something rough. Oddly enough, his hat and belt with that giant buckle seemed untouched. Past that, he had gray veins bulging out of his body that were surrounded by strange growths that looked like moving agonized faces. He was no longer fully human; he'd adapted to the Amala Network by changing himself into something like the Vile clan of demons.

Don't let him know about the labyrinth; it's meant for you.

"If you want in there, you have to know the right words to get there," Naoki said. "It's not something that I can simply tell others."

"I can just search the network for the words you use to get there," Isamu said, floating within the currents and unaffected by them. "So you might as well just tell me."

He shook his head. "I doubt that will work."

"I can know anything with the Network." Symbols began to swirl around him. It wasn't long until he frowned.

Even though he doubted Lucifer would let Isamu get into the labyrinth, Naoki decided to see if he could use his newest magatama to distract him. "Since you dragged me here, what Reason did you come up with? I know you're a bearer now."

"Musubi," Isamu said, letting the symbols fall back into the current. "Back in our own world, hardly anybody cared to pay attention to me. I hated it then, but in this world, I realized that it no longer mattered. I didn't care about many people there and that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, most problems in the world are the result of one person troubling another, whether they mean it or not. Everyone gets in each other's way and it all leads to one big mess."

There was a brief moment where he thought of being polite. But no, he couldn't take this politely. "That's a horrible way to look at things," Naoki said.

He didn't even look annoyed, just that he no longer cared. "Whatever, I didn't expect you to see things my way. You were right, you aren't the person I thought you were. But Musubi solves that; Musubi solves everything. When it is brought into reality, everyone will be able to make their own world, for themselves alone. They will never be bothered by other people again. Because, how am I supposed to make a single world where everyone is happy? I don't care about them; I can't know who they all are, what they all might want. So let them make their own worlds where they can be happiest. The souls that live within this network agree with Musubi wholeheartedly. That's how I became what you see now."

Feeling a signal from his horn, Naoki felt like this was a dangerous place for a vision. He then felt a reassurance from his magatama; there were enough of them that they'd protect him in this place. All right, then let's see...

_Kashima Naoki, see what the future may bring._

The world was made up of billions of bubbles. Every person got their own bubble. Within the bubble, you could do almost anything you wanted. An underwater city where you lived as mermaid royalty, sure, the waters would be perfectly comfortable with nearly everything you could desire at just a snap of the fingers. A giant monster stomping all over a city, sure, and the city would come back ready to topple again whenever you pleased. A cloudy paradise with plants that grew candy and rivers that flowed with sparkling soda, sure, your teeth would never rot and you'd never get sick unless you wanted that.

And people were happy with that, able to live in their wildest fantasies. Within the bubbles, the worlds were as big or as small as the people inside desired. Facts and science didn't matter anymore since every person made their own rules and could break them whenever. There were no consequences. Nearly everyone chose to fly, since why walk when you could fly however you felt was most fun.

However, there was something missing from these worlds, something that no one could do. They could not contact others. There was no trade or communication between worlds. After the initial rush of freedom, many realized that and felt despair. They could not make others within their worlds. Even the beasts, fish, insects, and birds were nothing but props. Without those they loved, without others to see their amazing creations, they felt trapped and lonely within their dreams.

They decided to wake up and their bubbles became empty.

Some people did not mind the lack of others at first. They were like Isamu, feeling like they'd been ignored and deciding that they were better off alone. Or they were like Hikawa, never caring about others in the first place. For them, the new reality of Musubi seemed ideal. They were the few lights left in the darkness of space.

But over time, they encountered problems too. Each person was free to do as they pleased; their worlds were only limited by themselves. And when they found those boundaries, they found great difficulties in breaking them. There were no new ideas to stimulate thoughts and expand their worlds accordingly. They created their own games, but knew exactly how to win them. No challenges to push them, no novelties to spark new interests; every song sounded the same, every place was like the last in some way. Boredom set in.

In trying to escape that, many of them woke up and their bubbles went dark.

And when all of the world bubbles were dark and empty, they fizzled out of existence entirely.

"Why do we have to keep up with the expectations of others? Why do we have to be limited by selfish idiots who claim authority? Musubi is true freedom, don't you see? A person will only be limited by themselves and thus be entirely free."

_Will you allow this future to come about?_

"Since when could you see into the future?" Isamu asked, annoyed at that.

"Since I was chosen for this role, shortly before the Conception," Naoki said. "I saw what your Reason would bring about and it's awful."

"What?" His fists clenched.

If he tries to fight us here, he's at an advantage since he can influence the Network. We can protect you for now, but if he starts trying to kill us, that'll be rough without all of us.

Keeping in mind that he might need to get away, Naoki continued. "I wouldn't be happy isolated in my own little world without my family, without anyone to make friends with. Most people would be unhappy with your vision once they realize there was no one around to talk to and be with. Only sociopaths like Hikawa will be satisfied with the world resulting from your Reason. Musubi is a freedom where you are limited by yourself, and those limits are stronger than you seem to realize."

The magatsuhi around Isamu became spiced with anger and an intimidation that held him back. "That's not true! You could make others if you really have to have them around, but you won't be limited by them ever."

Naoki shook his head. "Which means that they're not real, shades that are even weaker than the demon shades of greater beings. They'll only be echoes of your own thoughts. Did you come up with this because you were trying to escape reality?"

"Musubi will be the new reality. The old world doesn't matter, let it go. Besides, who made you judge of me? You can just stay lost here until I need you." Isamu then vanished.

Due to the nature of the Amala Network, he was technically still there. Naoki snorted, not wanting to voice that judging the other Reasons was now the main role he had in Creation. Hikawa had even said it, although Naoki had missed it at the time due to being shocked that he could not participate normally. Maybe even Isamu would grow unhappy with his own world, given that he admitted to needing Naoki for something.

Whatever that was, it didn't matter. Naoki looked around. There were no paths to follow this time, only the flow of magatsuhi. Trying to follow that could overwhelm him. However, he had an idea. Calling out Sovereignty, he held the golden candelabrum in front of him. "I don't know if this is your intended use, but let's see if you can do this. Sovereignty, lead me to the place you belong, to the Second Kalpa."

The candles lit themselves with white flames; the flow of magatsuhi suddenly parted around him, divided by the light. A frail brown path that looked like it belonged to the labyrinth appeared under his feet, but vanished where the magatsuhi was flowing. Trusting himself to the candelabrum, he walked along that path to escape from the formless Network.


	25. The Second Kalpa: The Scale of Chaos and Law

When Naoki materialized out of the Network, he was relieved to have the pressure of omniscience off of his senses. It made him feel light-headed when his horn didn't have to screen out so much. He had arrived in the Second Kalpa as he had hoped. However, he wasn't near his demons. He was in an isolated room far from the main corridors of the Kalpa. There was a ladder leading up into an area of rotting sickness; that place was cursed.

There were two demons in the room with him: Yoma Efreet and Fiend Raziel. The efreet was shocked. "H-hey, what gives? Now where did you come from?"

There was a scent of smoked meat to this place, a multitude of spices to the magatsuhi and a warm humid air. Kind of like a kitchen? But this was not like any kitchen that Naoki knew of, even as it was almost familiar. "The Amala Network," he said, opening his eyes now that he had a sense for this place. It was a discolored version of the First Kalpa, organic browns and burn patterns over everything. "I got lost trying to get to this Kalpa."

"This is quite a place to get lost to," the efreet said, putting a hand on his horned head. "You don't even need to be here yet; it's well off the beaten path past a long cursed area."

"But we both still got here," Raziel said.

"Not as intended," the efreet insisted. "You both popped up out of nowhere when I was supposed to be left alone until... well, never mind that. Now you have to get past the cursed halls in order to reach the actual trial."

"What are you here for?" Raziel asked, narrowing his glowing eyes at the efreet.

"It's not important right now!"

"Well since I entered in the middle of things, what's this trial supposed to be like?" Naoki asked. He sent his candelabrum away since he probably didn't need it.

The efreet took a deep breath, crossing his arms over his chest again. He shifted his head like he was trying to fix a tenseness in his neck. "Fine, fine, since you entered the Kalpa here somehow, I may as well be your guide to how the Second Kalpa works. As always, contracts are forbidden within the Kalpa. But for this particular Kalpa, you may not change the party you travel with."

"Change my party?" he asked, confused by that. "So it's some kind of game?"

"Sure, see it that way if you choose," the efreet said. "The only place you can call for others who have contracts with you are the rooms with the candelabrum stands at the beginning and end. If you revive those who fall, they will be transported to the beginning."

"But I got separated from my demons when I got lost in the Network," Naoki said. And if this Kalpa had been planned around him having his followers with him, this could be serious trouble.

"Well then you'd have to get to the beginning or end to get them back," the efreet said. "They will probably be informed by our master's servant of what's going on. Another restriction of this place is that in most locations, mapping will not work."

"I can get a sense of what the cursed halls look like from here, a spiral with trick doors and deadly air," he said. Although once he tried to look past the entrance to the cursed area... it was a horrible tangle that felt like fingernails dragged down chalkboard. He winced and quickly looked away.

"Don't try looking into what's past this area again," the efreet warned him, then tilted his head. "Space within this Kalpa is abnormal, you could say. Maybe you'll see a treasure chest in front of you, but if you try to go straight for it, you will find yourself in an entirely different room. Probably onto a damaging floor, or into total darkness, or some small patches of cursed space. Going through a door two different ways may not take you between two rooms. Once you find the logic behind it all, you should be able to figure out how to get from landmark to landmark, in a way of speaking."

"All right, and is the ending candelabrum room going to be locked again?" he asked.

"Not like the First Kalpa," the efreet said. "There will be a quiz to unseal that room. The answers all lie within the Second Kalpa, specifically with the ghosts and demons who are in these twisted halls. Except, I was supposed to have answers for something much further on. Once you find a way to lift the curses within the Kalpas, then I can help how I was supposed to. There, that's what you were supposed to be told at the beginning and a bit more. The rest is up to you to figure out."

"And what about you, Raziel, what are you doing here?" Naoki asked.

"Investigating," he replied. "How do you plan to get through this place?"

Until he saw more of the actual Kalpa instead of this separate hall, there was one sensible course of action. "Try to get back to the start first so that I can reunite with the three demons I brought in here. We came to do some battle training and see what this one would be like, if it didn't lock us in again. I'll work out how this place works on the way, maybe solve it if I get enough clues. But getting back to the others is my first priority."

"What about the cursed zone in the way?" he asked.

Naoki shrugged. "I'll just have to take it head on; I can sense the quickest path out, which is shorter than what I'd have to take coming here."

"Or we can just skip past it," Raziel said. "I know contracts are forbidden, but we're involved in a bet with the candelabrum."

"Do you mean to fight me over that?" Naoki asked. He might stand a chance at knocking Raziel out with one blow now; it was just a question of if he could equally withstand his attacks.

"That depends," he said. "I've been looking through this Kalpa for some time now and I want to see how you handle it. Take my hand, I'll get us past the cursed hall."

There was a quality to this fiend that was like Nyx: powerful but sincere. Nodding, Naoki took his hand. It was mostly hard bone with frail stretches of cold flesh clinging on. Raziel swept his other hand around. This time, Naoki saw what he was doing: space tore with a thin slit that became a passage they could slip through. The tear patched itself up as soon as they were past.

And they were in the same room, distorted and full of eerie shadows. Some parts of the wall were torn open, leading into the dark depths of the Amala Universe. There was something like the feeling of death to the room now. "This feels like times that I've died," Naoki said, although his body was still alive and warm.

Raziel nodded. He was different now, more like the wraith he named himself. "This is the realm of spirits, just past the divide of life and death. I discard and remake my body every time I move between the two; your hybrid state seems enough to keep you stable here, but I don't think you want to linger long on this side. I figured if you could survive the Amala Network, you could survive this. Come on, it's a quick path as long as the ladder's not too crooked for you."

Just like the warped walls, the ladder was bent, zigzagging up the wall instead of going straight. The rungs weren't outside his reach, thankfully, so Naoki managed the climb to the level with the spiraling hall. They couldn't operate the doors in this realm, but there were enough cracks and splits in the walls for them to pass on through. Even the exit door was disconnected from one wall and angled away just enough to squeeze past.

Once past the curse, Raziel returned them to the normal Kalpa with the same action. He let go and stepped away, then put his claws into his chest and pulled a strange weapon right out of his body. It writhed around his right arm like a lash of lightning, bright and very deadly. In that magic, there was some primal hunger. It would tear opponents apart even faster than Raziel could do just with his claws.

"The demons here are strong, but just leave them to me until you get your followers back," Raziel said. "You speak with the players in this game and see if you can solve its riddles."

Naoki felt like only the most reckless of demons would challenge them when Raziel had that weapon out. "Sure, I'll do that. Thanks."

"What are you doing coming from that direction?" the ghost of a young punk asked them, confused by their appearance. "I didn't think that was possible."

"We broke in through the window, in a sense," Raziel said.

"It's nothing to worry about," Naoki said. "What's the deal with this room?"

The punk revealed that he had a deck of cards in his hands; he tapped them against one palm. "Okay then... well, want to play a game with me? If you win against me, I'll not only tell you the right door to go through, but I'll also give you some incense. But if you lose against me, you'll have to give up some life. Either... wait, is he your follower?"

"No," Naoki said.

"Well, then you'll have to give me a quarter, half, or all of your life," the punk said. "Would've been easier if you'd gotten a follower here because then you could have given up theirs. The more you put into your wager, the more incense you'll get. Although, if you want an even greater reward, try passing through the door behind me. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you really must, there could be a great reward for going that way."

There were six doors in this room alone, with everything beyond being knotted up strangely. More incense would be nice. Still, the exchange sounded fishy. "What kind of card game do you mean?"

"Oh, it's not a card game, I just carry this deck around for luck." The ghost tucked the deck into his vest and brought out a marble. It had silver specks glittering within the glass and a noticeable air pocket shaped like an onion. "I'll hide this and shuffle things around, then you tell me where the marble ended up."

...ha ha ha! We can cheat this so easily; you could bet your whole life on this one.

He couldn't sense the location of this room beyond it being next to the cursed area. But what was within this room, that was simple. "All right, I'll take you up on that."

Chuckling like he had the advantage, the punk asked, "Good, then what's your wager?"

"All of my life."

That caused him to pause. "R-really? Huh, you must be really confidant in your luck. Well then, here we go." He tossed the marble in one hand, then called in more so that he was juggling three. After catching all three in that hand, he tossed them up, made dozens more appear, then caught them all in a large glass jar. "How about it, where is the marble I started with?"

Don't worry, this is still easy.

Although the game was more unfair than he'd thought, he wasn't worried. He searched the jar for marbles with silver specks in clear glass... there were only six of those. And of those six, none had the onion-shaped air pocket. A quick check of the ghost found that particular marble. "It's still in your left hand, under your curled thumb."

"Wha-what the hell?" the punk sputtered, bringing his left hand to his chest. There was a silver sparkle there. "How did you notice that? I spent months perfecting that trick, months!"

"It's a distinctive marble," Naoki said. "How do I get back to the beginning of this maze?"

That further confused him. "The beginning? I'm supposed to tell you how to get closer to the end, or back into things if you make bad choices."

"So your answer would depend on how much I wagered?"

"Of course, that's how things work here in the Second Kalpa," the ghost said. "Well fine, if you're going to be like that, I'll tell you more. If you'd refused, I'm to teleport you to the far end of the maze. Not the end, no, another off-shoot like this cursed spiral that will be hard to get out of. With your bet of all your life, or if you'd sacrificed one of your followers, you can go through that door," he pointed to the right of the cursed spiral, "to go right to the exit before the candelabrum room to the Third Kalpa. It's not the only door to go that way.

"If you'd chosen anything in between, I would have sent you through any of the other doors except that one right in the corner there. That would actually take you to the section where the Kalpa entrance is, in case you were trying to get through blindly. There's three sections to the Kalpa as a whole, this one being the one with the way further into the labyrinth. The third section, as I said, would just get you completely lost. Why would you want to go back to the entrance?"

"Because I entered through the window," he explained. "Even if the exit is right there, I'd rather get back to the start so I can do this as I intended."

"That would be best even if it's a hassle," the ghost said, then produced a thin paper bag that was tangible. "Oh yeah, and the actual reward for playing this game with me. If you end up lost back here, I'll just point you in the right direction again."

"That's good," he said, accepting the reward. There were five different incenses in this one, each with a distinct scent. Naoki put it away for later, then took the door in the corner.

"You had the means to sense the marble itself," Raziel noted.

Naoki nodded. "It was distinctive, not like the rest."

In the next room, the layout seemed nonsensical at first. The door they left through was in a portion that jutted out, with a passage that should have jutted into the room they were just in. This place was sprawling, with crooked halls going many different ways, even up and down. While some seemed like dead ends with a treasure or two, most had doors or ladders to other places in the maze. Most of those passages had a ghost or demon waiting near them.

Including one ladder that was within a pair of walls that stretched out to nearly reach the door he'd come out of. "Hey, mind talking with me for a little while?" the male ghost said. There didn't seem to be anything remarkable about him. "I'll tell you the right way you should go from here if you do."

"I'm looking for the entrance to this Kalpa," Naoki said. "I'll listen later if you can tell me the way there."

Like with the punk, this confused him. "Huh? That's not how this place works."

"I know, but I can't complete this Kalpa as intended until I get back to the beginning," he said.

"Oh, well..." he rubbed his head. "That is important. But, see, I'm only supposed to be here; I only know these two passages and there's over two dozen in this room alone. Um... oh, right! Find a demon who has the body of a man and the head of a jackal. He should be in this room. If anyone knows which door can take you back to the entrance, it'll be him."

It was a large sprawling room, but with one specific demon to find, Naoki was able to navigate to him. Deity Anubis, he nulled all ailments and wielded expel and death spells. Fortunately, Anubis noticed him before they caught sight of each other and came to meet with him. "Demifiend, you did not enter this place normally."

"I know, and I was told you can tell us how to get back to the entrance," he said. "I want to get back with my followers but the rules of this place forbid me to call them."

"Very well, I'll take you there myself," Anubis said, clasping the silver scales he carried. The air warped like rain-covered glass and they teleported to a square room that held three doors and a ladder. "The entrance is that way, up the ladder."

"Thank you, I'll be back." At the top, he found a large hall that ascended up to where the second candelabrum room was. His three demons were there, talking with each other. "Good to see you again."

"Good, you made it through," Yagatarasu said, trying to be calm while she was relieved. "It was a surprise to come out here without you, but Yuriko explained what happened."

"Isamu was trying to find this place, but I doubt he'll be able to enter," Naoki said. "There's more rules to this Kalpa, so I do need you three to help." He then told them about the specifics of this maze.

When they got down the ladder, there was a fourth door in the room. Yuriko was there too. She gave him a brief nod, then left through the new door and shut it behind her. It instantly melted away. Leaning against one wall, Raziel had dismissed his weapon to wait on them. Anubis waited in front of one of the doors. "So you had the conditions of this Kalpa explained to you," the god said. "But there is something you weren't told."

"What would that be?"

Anubis pointed to him. "You had your heart weighed while you made the transition from human to Demifiend. I am one who weights the hearts of humans after death to see if they are worthy of continuing on. If their heart is heavy and corrupt from an immoral life, it is eaten by my companion and their souls left to drift in the Abyss. At least, that is how things were when I still had divine status, when people most believed in me.

"When gods like myself were turned into demons, Lucifer helped us to adapt. He let me see the state of your heart as it was just after Conception." Anubis closed his eyes. "It was deemed that your heart was in a state of neutrality with an inclination towards chaos. You held strong ideals of law that restrained you from being noticeably chaotic, morals you were taught to be socially acceptable. However, your interest was strong in the ideals of chaos. Given more time as an ordinary human, you may have turned your true nature into that of a chaotic being on your own."

It was something to think about, but Naoki had to ask, "So what's that have to do with this Kalpa?"

"We can't weigh your heart as we did before," Anubis said. "But this maze will serve a similar purpose. If you can see the workings of this place properly, you will gain insight into the workings of your heart as well." He moved aside and turned to point to the door behind him. "Due to my original judgment of you, you can start with this door. If you come back, you'll be able to enter through any of these three doors."

Three... hey, put Satan in the fore. You should find out some interesting things from that.

Noaki nodded to Anubis, shifting his magatama as he put his hand on the door frame to open it.

Neutral. As suspected, he weighed your heart before and found it neutral, so we start with a neutral door. And the gambling wager, what you did was high chaos, especially because you were cheating at the game. Probably all the doors but that one were chaos, the one would be neutral to come back to the entrance, and teleporting away would be law because of refusing to gamble.

"What are you doing, Raziel?" Anubis asked, bringing Naoki out of his inner thoughts with his magatama.

"I've been allowed to run my part in the candelabrum game however I want," Raziel replied, not about to let Anubis stop him. "Since he has his followers again, I won't be fighting for him. But I will be observing this too."

"It would suit your candelabrum," Anubis said. "Very well. I'll be traveling through the maze. Come find me if you are unsure of whom to speak to next."

Past that door, they came into a T-shaped hall with no exits other than the one they'd come through. But there were enchantments at the other ends of the T, likely teleport areas. There were some tough demons wanting battles on the way to the intersection, including a shade of Clotho in one group. While the rule about not reviving demons had to be kept in mind, the battles were handled with little trouble.

A female demon, Parvati, waited at the intersection. "You're a good warrior," she said in admiration. "But let me pose a question to you, something more personal. Okay?"

"Sure, what is it?" That was the game of this Kalpa.

She turned the flower she was holding. "Let's say that you're talking to someone you admire greatly and they invite you out to dinner. They won't be able to meet with you again for a while, but your parents are expecting you to be at home for dinner with them. What would you do?"

"Apologize to the person and go home to my parents," Naoki asked. Maybe he'd call home to excuse himself if this was an extraordinary person and there was no chance in the world he'd meet with them again if he didn't agree. But in most cases, he'd go back home.

"Then, you should go that way," she said, pointing to her right.

That teleport is law, favoring an obligation to your family over a personal interest.

That thought from Satan gave him pause. "Lucifer put you here with that question on purpose," Naoki said.

"Why would you think that?" Parvati asked, curious.

"If he knows the state of my heart before Conception, than it's obvious I'd make that choice," he said. "The only thing that would make it more blatant was if you asked about someone I had a crush on, but he would know that was a mistake."

"Oh my, you are very clever," she said, smiling.

"Not really," Naoki said.

"Then which way are you going?" Raziel asked.

The exit was behind a door of high chaos. He entered through neutral and was being sent to law initially. "I get what this place is trying to say," he said. "But we came down here to get stronger, so we'll follow this path for now."

The teleport led straight into a room enchanted to be completely dark. A Lightoma spell revealed him to be in the middle of a patch of red haze, a curse to damage whoever walked over it. Although it covered the whole room, a few ghosts paced around the exterior. The curse continued on through the eight small halls that led to other rooms. The ghosts were chanting in a language Naoki didn't know.

It's a modern adaptation of Latin as used by the Mesian Church. We're in the midst of those who worship the God of Law.

"What are they doing here in the labyrinth?" Naoki asked quietly.

"Haven't there been ghosts all over this place?" Mikazuchi asked.

"Not like these," he said.

"Demi, want me to use Liftoma?" Yagatarasu asked, keeping herself above the haze. "This kind of place is exactly what it's made for, so we don't trigger this damage curse."

"Yes, thanks," he said. The enchantment was focused on their feet, giving them protection there. With that making things easier, he went to the pacing ghosts. "What are you doing here?"

"Please don't disturb us," the woman at the end said. "Join us if you like, but don't disturb us."

"I can't join you if you don't tell me what you're doing," he pointed out.

She sighed softly, but decided to deal with him anyhow. "We tried to save the world from the Gaean machinations that led to Conception. However, we interpreted the signs too late and were unable to stop them. We're walking the dim roads of Purgatory in prayer so that we can perfect ourselves and find our way to Heaven."

No, Purgatory is an entirely different place. This isn't exactly Hell either, as the Vortex World doesn't correct directly there. But they are closer to Hell than Heaven in being here.

"Are you sure about that?" Naoki asked the ghost. "This whole place is cursed."

"Obviously, it's part of the trial to test our souls," she said. "We were not evil so we did not fall to Hell. But we still do not meet God's expectations, so we must perfect our being to be acceptable to Him. Come, pray to Him for guidance. He will protect all of His good children even after our world has been destroyed. Pray to Him, and you too will find your way to His side."

"What god are you talking about?" he asked, which amused his magatama.

"The one and only God, of course," she said, starting to get exasperated but still trying to be polite.

"There are many gods," he said. "I'm traveling with two here."

"Those are false gods!" she said, her spirit turning red. "Hmph, I should have seen right away that you were an idolater. There is only one true God; there has been only one true God ever and there will only ever be one true God. You are a wicked fool who should be far beneath us! Your soul will be lost forever to sin and suffering!" Then she teleported them elsewhere.

She sent you away for being too chaotic for her liking, but you're still in the law area.

Despite being sent away, they had arrived in a room identical to the last, even down to the chanting souls. Their group got approached this time, by the ghost of a man wearing white clerical robes. "What are you dark souls doing here?" he asked. "Seeking the salvation of God?"

'Let me ask him a few questions,' Naoki directed at his magatama. While it had been Hikawa's suggestion, he did see some merit in questioning different sides when he could.

Sure. And to alleviate any suspicions, these are indeed the souls of Mesians, those who worship the God of Law. They can't actually reach the Heaven that their God made without an intervention, like with what Lucifer did with your cousins, or how the angels must have separated the souls of your family.

Satan was a lot like Marogareh, giving him access to information he shouldn't be able to learn himself. But that was a curiosity to think over later. "We're lost at the moment," Naoki said. "Someone told me that you all belonged to the Church of the Messiah?" When the cleric nodded, he thought about how he didn't want to offend him right away. Satan shifted his posture and the way he looked to the ghost, much like his physical magatama silently let him know how to fight most effectively. "I've never heard about you before recently. Would you mind explaining what you're about?"

"That is no trouble," the cleric said. "We follow the one true God, watch for His messiah, and help them in any way we can in order to save the world from the corruption of demons. Since the messiah only appears every few centuries, we also help the poor and needy so they can also find the light of God. We pray to God every day and keep His word; it would help you immensely to do the same, fulfill the role laid out for you by our Creator."

"The people of your church hear from your god?" Naoki asked.

"Of course, I follow His guidance regularly," the cleric said. Something shifted about his magatsuhi.

He's lying. Taste the anxiety... he most likely has not heard from his god personally. Most people wouldn't. They call it a small still voice in your heart, which is most likely just their own thoughts.

"That seems amazing," Naoki said, to counter when he asked, "But what if someone has a hard time hearing God? I was told not everyone could do that."

The ghost's anxiety increased; he tried to cover for it. "Well, that can happen until they truly awaken to their call. But we of the clergy are there to help them. Many scriptures have been written about God's teachings; we determine which ones are legitimate and worthy of study. Normally I'd be happy to lend one to a curious youth like you, but we're currently without many things. But we keep faithful; we pray and when we are ready, God will show us the way to Heaven."

"You rely on your god a lot," he said.

That relaxed the cleric, putting him on more familiar ground. "Yes, that is what we are meant to do. Everything in our lives is centered around God. Humankind cannot live properly without God to lead us. If He were not there, we would degenerate into anarchy, living only for ourselves and damaging everyone around us."

At that point, Naoki sensed a dappled radiance. Again? He tensed, trying to prepare himself. The cleric paused, caught by surprise.

Hang on, that was just an angel telepathically contacting him. They're not here. Relax; we might need to lie to get you out of this, hmm...

The cleric looked at him in fear. "Y-you're the mythic Demifiend. A human soul reborn as a demon to carry out Hell's terrible plans."

Do you really not outright lie very much? All well. When you bend the truth by calling it negotiation, your words and attitude stiffen. When you do lie, you look aside in a particular direction and clench your fingers some. You'll have to not do that. Or you could just destroy this guy if lying fails, should be easy.

What would happen to a person if their soul was destroyed? Naoki didn't think it could be good. He continued with Satan's guidance. "That's what they call me, but I haven't committed to it. Those who are trying to manipulate me are powerful, so I have to use what means they've given me to get powerful enough to escape their grasp. Plus, everyone who's trying for Creation is going to end up fighting each other. I need to be able to handle that. That's why I came down here."

"There is some merit to that," he said. "But be careful doing so. The demons will trick you in every way they can think of. Borrowing too much of their power will end up corrupting you. Since you can't use the power of Creation yourself, do you know who you will be supporting?"

"I haven't heard from everyone yet, but I have some ideas," he said.

"This must be some scheme of the demons to have ended our world. But if we keep praying, I'm sure God will intervene and prevent the new world from being completely ruined from the start. I wish I could lend you some of our scriptures; they'd surely help you pick out whose Reason is closest to God's, and therefore the most correct one."

He's believed you so far, give it a shot.

"Thanks for the thought at least," Naoki said. "But there is a problem that's come up. This area is closed off and I can't reach the area with the exit. If I can't get out of here, I can't help any of the Reason bearers. And there are multitudes of demons within the Vortex World. They'd surely do all they could to strike down or weaken the one who could help your god most."

The cleric got worried about that. "Ah, that would be a thorny problem. All these halls of purgatory lead to each other. None of us have found an exit either. But a while back, I discovered that I..." his anxiety shot back up, "By the grace of God, I can send demons away from our path to salvation. I don't know where it will send you, but the demons should not be too suspicious of you. You can find your way back to the light of Creation from there."

"Yes, that would work, thank you," Naoki said.

"I hope God speaks to you soon," the cleric said, then teleported them away.

That's meant for a strong chaotic choice or action, which suits how we handled it.

Of course, it teleported them to a large room that contained a number of demons who had been teleported away by the Mesian clerics. And they knew the purpose of this place. Naoki readied himself for a large brawl.


	26. The Second Kalpa: The Scale of Chaos and Law

After they cleared the large room of many annoyed demons, Onkot asked, "Are you really gonna listen to those Mesian fools?"

"No, I fooled him to get out of that area," Naoki said, feeling like his demon was testing him. "With all that chanting and cursed darkness, I don't think any of us wanted to be there any longer than necessary."

Onkot nodded; his soul was shifting. "Yeah, that would have been a drag to find the actual exit. In that case, I suppose I don't have to ditch you." He then evolved, becoming a larger golden monkey. His armor was more elaborate and his sword was larger to match his growth.

"You were going to ditch us?" Yagatarasu asked, not liking that.

"I'm not about to be following somebody who sympathizes with them," Hanuman said, twirling his sword in a showy manner. "That'd be one of the few things I'd leave for when hanging with you guys lets me get stronger. But I still have a ways to go."

If what they said was what they really did, then the Mesians themselves might not be all bad. "It's good you're sticking around," Naoki said. It was true, but he felt what his magatama had been saying about how he changed slightly to negotiate with partial truths. Hanuman was happy with that; anyone would react better when treated positively.

Even himself. Some bits of memory came into his thoughts, but he tried not to get too caught up in them. This was not the place to get distracted, by anything. He led the group through the one door in the place; they ended up in the sprawling twisted halls they'd been in before. While he couldn't see Raziel at the moment, he sensed the wraith nearby.

There was a natural way to progress, a door within sight. But he didn't feel like wandering around until he stumbled back outside the exit. They could use Riberama outside of the exit and finish up any training they wanted then. While the whole structure of the Second Kalpa was a headache to look at, Naoki carefully sensed along the walls to make sure of the layout of this room. He chose to go to the door he'd seen before. It might not lead them back to the same room, but there was something he wanted to do.

Finding the ghost still there, he said, "All right, I'm back here legitimately. You wanted me to listen?"

"Oh, yes," the ghost said, nodding. "Do you mind?"

"Go ahead, I'll listen," Naoki said.

"It's a story about a young man who became a hero," the ghost said. "His world had been in a good state of balance between chaos and law, but scientists opened a portal to the Abyss. He was chosen by the Great Will alongside two other young men who were being closely watched by the opposing forces. One of those men wanted power; he fused himself with a demon and joined the demons of chaos to bring the ancient gods back into authority. Another of them wanted a guiding principle to gain a peaceful world; he accepted being the Messiah of the Mesian church and joined the angels of law to destroy the demons and all who supported them.

"As for the one chosen by the Great Will, he had many big decisions to make. If he went with his friend on the side of Chaos, he'd end up fighting the armies of God along with his other friend. If he went with his friend on the side of Law, he'd end up fighting the ancient gods, their accompanying demons, and his other friend. There was also another choice, to go with neither of them. But that would lead him to destroy everyone of power in his world: the angels, the ancient gods, and his two friends. What do you think he'd choose?"

"How would I know?" Naoki asked. "You haven't told me much about this hero himself, only about his situation. And what sense is there in killing off both sides if he didn't want to go with either side?"

The ghost shook his head. "It's either that or let his world fall to the tyranny of whichever side won. Of course, everyone who was involved in that conflict was someone of power and authority. Picking that path would leave the hero and his loyal companion as the only powerful ones left alive. And when it comes to angels and demons, well, as long as there are those who believe, they can come back into the world with time."

"Does this have anything to do with the conflict of the Mesians and Gaeans?" he asked. "I already spoke with the former. How would I find the Gaeans, if they're here?"

"Uh, that's not how this goes, again," the ghost said, getting confused. "We're supposed to stick to this one story."

Naoki shrugged. "For me to make an informed opinion on it, we'd have to talk for a really long time and I'd rather not do that."

"Oh, well, you are kind of right. The story does include those two organizations, as does this Kalpa." He scratched his head, then said, "I guess... if you want to speak to the Mesians again for whatever reason, go through that door. If you want to speak with the Gaeans, you should be able to reach at least one of them down this ladder. I was supposed to tell you directions based on how you thought the hero of the story went, like searching elsewhere in this room if you decided he was neutral. This doesn't really follow the scale."

"Well thank you for telling me," he said, then went down the ladder.

There were two ghosts down here, already involved in conversation. "Hindu beliefs, Buddhist, Egyptian," the teenaged girl of the pair said, recounting something. "And even the Mesians believe that about their messiah at least. But they and the Jews believe that souls can endlessly be in Hell or Heaven depending on their actions, like the Greeks, um..."

"You're on a good track," the woman said. Then she bowed to them. "Oh, hello Demifiend. Sorry, there isn't anyone to fight in this room. You may join us for this lesson if you'd like."

"Maybe for a bit, I was hoping to learn more about the Gaean organization," he said.

The woman nodded. "I am one of their teachers. Dear, how about you tell him what you're doing?"

"Um, okay," she said, nervous. "We're discussing the possibility of the reincarnation of souls. It shows up in many world philosophies, but they disagree on the notion. Egyptians believed that if their lives and deaths went well, they'd be resurrected sometime in the distant future. By Hindu teachings, every soul goes through many lives, being greater or lesser beings depending on how close their soul is to true enlightenment.

"But then the Greeks believed that souls went to an afterlife they couldn't return from except under extraordinary conditions. The Mesians teach that most souls only have one shot at life, but a few are chosen by the forces of law and chaos to be reborn and sway the hearts of others. But I wonder if it's because they believe they can't be reborn that they aren't. Because if you don't believe you can get good grades, you won't try and will only get bad ones. But if you believe you can, you'll get grades appropriate to your talents and efforts.

"So it might be that reincarnation of humans souls is the norm, but you can believe otherwise and prevent it from happening until your soul forgets everything. If you believe in reincarnation, though, there's a chance that if your will is strong enough, you can remember things in your past life. I hope I can remember some of my life next time, because that'll make things so much easier if I remember not to do certain stupid things."

"That is a good line of reasoning," the teacher said. "Every philosophy has some merit and should be respected. Even that of our oppressors, the Mesians who would seek to wipe out every other school of thought, their ways must have some merit and truth to them or they wouldn't have lasted as long."

"But it's mostly the power of their God behind that, isn't it?" the girl asked.

"Could be," the woman said.

Yes, she's bluffing. Taste the particular mix here; she must have been instructed not to tell you things like that directly, like how you saw through the first question.

'Like you all are meant to guide me in one direction but not overtly,' Naoki thought.

Well, yes. But we are incapable of thinking of much, only within small parameters unless we have your mind to connect to and each other to think with. As Satan, I wouldn't be of much use to you if you had less than half of us. But you must realize, it is to our mutual benefit to work together. We could not be anything without you; I was little more than a power source to Heeho, not a guiding insight. She's asking you something.

"Hmm?" Naoki said, bringing his attention outward. "Sorry, I was speaking with my magatama for a moment."

"That's fine, you're lucky to have such spirits," the teacher said. "What do you think of the myriad of philosophies in the world?"

"Whether or not demons or gods are involved, they're made by humans trying to explain the world," he said. It was something his grandfather said; he was pretty sure that was true. "Different people experience different things, from where they live to what obstacles they have to overcome, so of course their philosophies are going to be different. It doesn't mean any one of them is better than another, they all work for somebody."

"That's a mature outlook for a young man like you," the teacher said, impressed. "I know your way forward, you should..."

"Excuse me, but I wanted to ask about something first," Naoki said.

"It's rude to interrupt someone else, especially your elder," the girl said.

"Well yes, but what is it?" the teacher asked.

Following along with their game was more of an insight into himself, yes, but he wanted other answers more. "I was told that your people had the Scriptures of Miroku that led to the Conception. Why would you keep around something about how to end the world?"

"That must have been a scam from the Mesians," the teacher said, anxious like when he'd questioned the cleric. "All of the rites involved show their methodology, like willing obedience to one powerful authority and the forbidding of any deviations."

"I was told that by Lucifer's servant," Naoki said. Oddly, Satan seemed in agreement with his methods. "And she said that the man who carried it out was one of your people."

"Is that true?" the student asked, worried.

Caught in the lie, the teacher gave in. "I'm not one who could tell you much about that. This isn't the intended way, but if you really want to know about that, go through that door. One of our elders is in that room."

The way she nearly gave us was high chaos for speaking one of the Gaean principles on your own. This way is meant to be for a neutral or uncertain answer when she thinks speaking to this elder will help convince you.

"Thank you, that would help me most," Naoki asked, then went to speak with the Gaean elder.

As soon as he got in, the ghost of the old man flickered red. "Who dares enter my place of meditation?"

"I'm the Demifiend and I want to ask you some questions," he said.

"Even if you are as such, you don't seem to be one of our own. Hmph, I don't have to tell you anything until your prove your worthiness to me. Don't rely on your demons, show me what you can do!" He summoned three demons: Holy Shiisaa, Holy Unicorn, and Avatar Makami. They were all holy beasts of some sort.

And, they weren't that strong compared to his demons. Or himself, possibly. 'Could I use that attack-all skill of yours?' he asked mentally.

Deadly Fury? You could, although the power you have currently is not enough to use it effectively. You'd end up eating an unreasonable amount of your energy and health doing so. But one of those incenses will fix that right up and it won't be enough to kill you in one shot. Go ahead if you dare.

Naoki had been worried about that when Momunofu learned Brutal Slash, but it seemed worthwhile now to get the elder to talk. "If I must," Naoki said, then summoned his energy blade and cut through the three without moving from where he was.

It tasted like when something went horribly wrong and someone else blamed him for things going bad. Whether it had been his fault or not, Naoki had learned to hold back on angered reactions; it was only a moment, he could calm down and be reasonable. It was deliciously satisfying to have a chance to lash out with that hatred and destroy his opposition. But it still wasn't healthy to hold onto that. Use the attack, let it pass.

"Did you mean to present such an easy challenge?" Naoki asked. But the question was a bluff too. Mikazuchi had put a hand on his back to keep him from collapsing and Yagatarasu was already healing his physical wear.

The elder was flabbergasted. Maybe this had been designed with him having his followers along, but perhaps it had also been designed thinking that he'd come here as soon as he could. "Th-that shouldn't be possible, even out of you... oh, forgive me, Demifiend," he bowed low in apology. "I thought you'd be sent my way if you seemed too cautious. What is it you seek from me?"

To make sure he answered, Naoki told him about what Yuriko had said. "How'd you let Hikawa get away with destroying the world?"

"We couldn't stop him, no matter how we tried," the elder said regretfully. "There had been several conflicts around the world between us and the Mesian church, so we thought they were up to something. But our worst enemy was among us and we didn't know it until the Yoyogi Park massacre. We tried to send some skilled assassins into the hospital he'd closed up, but they must have been slaughtered as well. In the hour that the Conception actually occurred, we were trying to organize another effort against that heretic."

"Why would you call him a heretic if you're open to all philosophies?" Naoki asked.

"Most of us don't have ambitions to destroy the world. From many cultures, we have learned to respect and honor our Mother Earth. We don't even have ambitions to rule the world. We'd rather be teachers, to open the minds of others and help individuals reach their personal best. Taking such a grand view of things is important occasionally, but too often leads to people being ignored and left behind. Hikawa went against so many of our general ideals."

"But you kept him around because he funded you well."

The elder hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Yes, that's true. Money is a mundane necessity of reality. We end up with dilettantes who fund us but want to pick and choose what they believe in rather than seek true wisdom. For a long time, we thought Hikawa was merely one of those shallow supporters. We had a section of leadership devoted to satisfying them without letting them know that the real leaders paid them little heed."

It made practical sense. "But you still should have noticed earlier. What were you even doing with the Scriptures of Miroku? Something that details how to end the world doesn't seem like a good thing to keep around."

"Frankly, we didn't realize that we had that in our Great Library. When we started to suspect Hikawa, I was the one who looked into matters with the library. We actually had three copies and the original among a vast collection that was usually kept out of public notice. They were all marked by the Mesian Church, very old stamps, so I sought librarian records to figure out what they were doing there.

"As it turned out, we had those Scriptures from various raids on Mesian facilities. They always figured that they'd be given instructions if their god decided to end the world, but they kept such apocalyptic works at hand in case the specifics were left out. There was a time when our spies decided to remove all such works from Mesian ownership and destroy them. However, the caretaker of the Great Library at the time hated for books to be destroyed. He convinced our leaders to keep at least some copies in hidden vaults, which is how the original Scriptures of Miroku and the few copies ended up with us. There were many texts in those vaults that were largely forgotten about until visitors or staff stumbled upon them in looking for something else."

He didn't like it, but Naoki didn't see a reason to blame them for having the Scriptures of Miroku if that all was true. An organization that accepted all religions and philosophies had to keep thousands of books in order to allow such a broad study. "I see."

"But if all this ends up giving Lord Lucifer a new advantage, we do not mind our own sacrifices," the elder said.

"I mind the sacrifice of the whole world," Naoki said. "Nothing is worth that price."

"The next way you seek is up that ladder," the elder said, directing him on.

He's sending you towards the neutral area because you're not willing to give up absolutely everything. But you've done enough to impress him, so he's not sending you back to the law area. Actually, that door in the middle of the wall to our left will lead to the exit. I'm getting bored with this morality maze too.

"I'll go my own way," Naoki said, then took the door that would get him to the exit.

The elder tried to stop him with, "Um, I don't think you should be heading that way yet. There is much more for you to learn here in the Second Kalpa."

"No, I'm going this way," he insisted.

They entered a large room with a dome for a ceiling. There was only the one door in and a passage downward towards the Third Kalpa. In front of the passage, Anubis was waiting on him. Raziel appeared as well and leaned against the wall, observing. There were a few spots in the floor that reminded Naoki of the hole he'd fallen through to battle Matador. If they meant to train here, he'd have to be mindful that his followers didn't end up on the holes.

"You have changed," Anubis said, "Particularly in losing a respect for your elders."

That was true. In his old life, it was a horrible social misstep to disrespect or insult an elder. He'd known of a few incidents, and been in others, where lying or being silent was preferable to going against one. But demons seemed more lax about it for the most part. Naoki felt he'd still respect Yuko, but he wouldn't do the same for Hikawa. Maybe he'd even be bold enough to disregard that if he brought the world back and became human again.

"Would you like to know my assessment of you now?" Anubis asked.

"No, because this whole thing is dumb," Naoki said. It startled his followers, although Raziel seemed amused at it.

Anubis was baffled enough that his scales nearly slipped from his hand. "That is what you think?"

"How do you think you can accurately judge someone's morality based on a bunch of questions?" he asked. "It was simple to lie for a specific outcome or to completely ignore what the participants suggested. The only answers that had anything to do with how I am were with the gambling cheat and when I got that Mesian woman angered."

"Even the fact that you did not complete this Kalpa as intended shows what's in your heart," Anubis said, although he seemed to be grasping for control of the situation.

Don't let him, you can do this.

Why not take control? "And I think the whole thing is too simplistic to be dividing people into three categories on a single scale," Naoki continued. "It might work for demons because you're restricted to being a certain way. I can say that Hanuman is chaos, Yagatarasu is law, and Mikazuchi is either law or neutral, and I can say that just based on their mythology. I don't know Raziel that well, so I don't know about him."

"Possibly neutral unless being an unrepentant bastard makes me chaos," Raziel said.

Naoki shrugged at that. "And you, Anubis, you're law because you judge those who believe in you to see if they lived in accordance to your belief system. Even if your authority as a god was stolen from you, that will still remain true."

"That is so," Anubis admitted.

"I'm still human enough that a scale like that is too simple," he went on. "My morals can and have changed, and you all might see what I believe as being on various points of your linear scale. But my beliefs can be anywhere on your scale and not be contradictory because I'm human. I have learned some interesting things here, but trying to judge me based off only my actions in this Kalpa is dumb."

Anubis closed his eyes, angered at his words but trying to keep calm. "Hmph, so that's how you see it? The exiting quiz will probably seem dumb to you as well."

"I did listen to who I spoke with, so that depends on the questions," Naoki said.

His jackal ears flicked back a moment. "I have a number I could ask. And something I did not plan but your methods bring it up. You have correctly assessed me as being aligned with law. Why then would I be here assisting Lucifer when he is the master of chaos?"

That was simple. "You explained that yourself at the beginning. You were a law god, but you were a threat as a rival to the god of law that the Mesians worship. He undermined your authority and Lucifer was the one who accepted you and your peers. If you still held your position as the god of the underworld with many who believed in you, then I think you would be against Lucifer because he would corrupt your followers."

Hearing that, his eye twitched. It might not be something Anubis would say within the labyrinth, but it still rang true with him. "You also mentioned that you felt the first question was rigged."

"This whole kalpa is rigged," Naoki said. "I get it, Lucifer wants me to work for him. I don't think the people I met ended up here on accident. The two Mesians were close-minded and both of them would have gotten angered at me if I hadn't lied to the cleric. And then the three Gaeans were people I find agreeable even when the elder sent demons to fight me first thing. There was also the gambler, trying to show me that greater risks are worth the reward. Obviously, the correct solution to this maze when Lucifer set it up was to start in neutral and exit through chaos, with law being a closed in confusing area that would damage us the more time we spent there. This wasn't a test; it was a lesson."

"Your mind's eye is sharp," Anubis said. "Are you going to work with Lucifer?"

"I don't know that yet," he said. "There's still more I need to figure out, and if I got a chance to speak to Lucifer again, I would be questioning him on certain matters. I'd question the angels too if I could reduce my risks in doing so because they've already tried to utterly destroy my soul. However, I am aware that I cannot remain undecided while the rites of Creation are going on. Once the road to Kagutsuchi is summoned, I need to be firm with my decision and not turn back. I will not make any decisions certain until then."

"I don't believe I can argue with the reasoning," Anubis said, then gave him a bow. "Very well, I will allow you to exit the Second Kalpa. If you still wanted to train, the hall past me is the most suitable place. I would even consent to serve you should you find out how to summon me at the cathedral. Good luck, Demifiend." He then vanished into white smoke.

"You seem to have a good perspective," Raziel said, summoning the Candelabrum of Knowledge out. He then tossed it over. "You're in a dangerous game of powerful beings; faith in any of them will only turn you into their pawn. If you can ask those questions, take the chance whatever the risk."

Naoki caught the candelabrum. "All right, I'll keep that in mind."

Coming away from the wall, he added, "I'm an outsider, so I'll do what I want. And right now that's leaving this world."

"You have your own world to get back to," he said, remembering what little he'd been told.

Raziel shrugged. "What's left of it. Maybe that mess sorted itself out, or maybe I'll keep drifting. I'll keep fighting to keep my agency; you do the same."

"Sure," Naoki said. Then Raziel slipped away through one of his spatial tears and was gone.

Now that he had the acceptance of Anubis and Raziel, Naoki brought his followers to the hall winding down to the Third Kalpa. He used Riberama to draw demons to fight them. But this time, he kept himself alert to watch them. Naoki also called on the three fiends he was allied with to see better how they fought under his command. He was already familiar with Matador, who was a powerful and fast swordsman, but was best at supporting himself. Any attempt he made to enchant others was less effective than boosts to himself. Still, he could be relied on to act independently in battle or make quick strikes at dangerous opponents.

With Hell Biker and Daisoujou, they were harder for others to take out. Hell Biker was great for clearing a crowd, slamming his bike into a number of demons and then making the exhaust flare up with venomous fumes. But if any in the crowd was skilled in Fire or Force, Hell Biker could be a risk for making those demons harder to take down. Daisoujou was more of a mage, able to tear right through any demons who were weak to Death or Expel. His healing was the most powerful of any of Naoki's followers, plus he had a draining spell that made sure he never had to run out of magic.

At some point, Naoki noticed that Mikazuchi wasn't running out of magic either, even though he had a far lesser capacity and a powerful spell in Ziodyne. A check of his innate status showed that he'd picked up a passive skill at some point after the second or so Riberama: Mana Refill. "I see what Baphomet meant now," he said to his followers when the battles winded down again. "It's just a matter of if we want to do the sacrificial fusion with you two."

"I don't believe either of us are going to be the actual sacrifice," Yagatarasu said, landing on Mikazuchi's shoulder. "It will be worth it, I know it now. You'll end up with someone far more powerful than either of us could become apart."

"If she says something when she's this demon, then I'm inclined to believe her," Mikazuchi said.

"Of course you would, you're both from the same mythology," Hanuman said, less impressed. "It's the boss's decision either way."

Was this level of sacrifice acceptable? The demons were growing in power slower than he was, so it was starting to look feasible. And since they were willing... but what of the sacrifice? At any rate, they'd return back to the Vortex World as Kagutsuchi would be waning. There was some time before it could be done. "We'll probably go ahead once the conditions are right. Let's head out; I'd like to get to Asakusa."

At the end of the winding hall, they came to a candelabrum room with three pedestals. It hadn't meant much until now, but Naoki realized that each pedestal was meant for a particular candelabrum. None of these three were for the one Raziel had. They wanted Compassion, Insight, and Wisdom. Why were they named as such? Compassion definitely didn't sound much like a valued trait among most demons. They did belong to Lucifer, so perhaps he thought he had such traits. But that didn't quite explain Foundation.

His horn gave him a warning as he crossed the threshold of the room. There were three pedestals, but four in the room besides the two he carried. Three of them did match the pedestals, with Majesty accompanying them. Once his group was entirely in the room, the four fiends holding those candelabrum appeared on the other side of the room. Four horseman, all in obscuring black cloaks, differing in the kind of horse they rode and the weapons they carried. Any one of them was going to be a challenge to battle; taking on all four of them at once at this point, even if he summoned the Fiends he had allied with, would be suicidal.

"You really are stubborn," Black Rider said. "You won't commit yourself yet, but events in the Vortex World are in motion that will change your mind."

"Perhaps, but at this point there's not enough to convince me in any direction," Naoki said.

White Rider laughed at that, his teeth clattering a little. "As long as you make a commitment at some point, avoiding the disappointing fate of the Demifiend you met in the Obelisk. Lucifer has his hopes in you, but we aren't so easily convinced that we need a human to become a leader among us."

"And since you've come this deep, we're now free to challenge you at any time, at any place," Red Rider said. "Now how do you feel about being hunted down with no safe place to hide within the Vortex World?"

"Not that it matters what you might say to that, since that's what's going to happen," White Rider said.

"You might even end up fighting against more than one of us at a time," Black Rider said.

"And our followers as well," Red Rider said. "As you may fight with your followers, so may we. We intend to fully take advantage of that rule."

"Best be wary," Black Rider said, then vanished along with Red and White into black magatsuhi.

For a moment, Pale Rider vanished too. But he reappeared closer to Naoki, causing Hanuman to grumble and step out of the way. "They will be hunting you down, but not I," he said. While the other three had seemed jovial and looking forward to their part of the game, Pale was stern and serious. "I'm still charged with certain duties."

"Like keeping the angels from claiming my soul," Naoki said.

He gave a nod to that. "For as long as you don't anger nor disappoint Lucifer, yes. Go ahead and relish your newly emerged defiance against any else, but not our master. You've been lucky so far that he's willing to indulge you. Should you wish to challenge me for the candelabrum I hold, you will have to find your own way to me. If you have any inclination towards anything but our master's offer, I recommend you simply don't find me." He then vanished with the others.

So he was going to be actively hunted now for this game. "Well that decides what we're doing next," Naoki said. Now where would be a good place to meet with them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to use Raziel and had some stealth mentor plans for him. But as I got into the last third or so, I ended up not needing him. In any battle scenes I could use him for, Matador fits just as well (and often funnier). It also kept being better using the canon Fiends in other situations, even with their bias. It probably would have ended the same if I'd used Dante anyhow. All well.


	27. Hunting Conquest, Famine, and War

"Congratulations on making it through the Second Kalpa," Yuriko said. She had been waiting on them in the terminal room. "Where would you like to go?"

"Before that, I want to know if the manikins with Futomimi have reached Asakusa," Naoki asked.

She glanced at the Amala drum, spinning the middle one a quarter turn. "It seems... yes, most of them have arrived there around the time you entered here. Three got lost in the tunnels between Ikebukuro and Asakusa, and only a few have moved out from the Ginza Underpass. If you mean to go to Asakusa, you should be aware that we've been keeping an eye on an unusual angel in the area. She acted as the Divine Messenger for Kagutsuchi, but she has stuck around even though her role is complete."

"All right, thanks for letting me know," he said, still thinking over where to go with the Riders now hunting him.

Going to Asakusa was out, as he didn't want to draw them near the manikins. Ginza and Shibuya were both places where ghosts and demons gathered, and there may be some still around Ikebukuro as well. The hospital was a maze and the halls were not tall enough for the Riders and their horses to pass through. Even if that was so, they could set up holes like Matador and Naoki didn't expect walls to stop them. The Obelisk was also a maze with few non-demon inhabitants, but it had large open rooms. There were regular and magical pits to watch out for, though, and it didn't seem right to bring fierce battles into a place where the soul of the world was taking refuge.

"I'll go to the Shinjuku Medical Center, close to when I left," Naoki said. While it wasn't an easy place to get around, he could watch better for holes and try to catch the Riders in the lobbies.

Yuriko bowed. "As you wish. Good luck."

Back in the first terminal room he'd known of, Naoki sensed the candelabrum Compassion in the basement hall. He wasn't surprised at that. "Matador, Daisoujou, I want you two with us," Naoki said. He'd noticed that Riders nullified various elements and all aliments, so Hell Biker wasn't going to help much. They didn't resist physical attacks, so Matador would definitely help. While the Riders also resisted Death and Expel spells, Daisoujou's superior healing was potentially necessary for Naoki and his followers to be challenging the Riders at this point.

"We are at your command," Daisoujou said, ringing his bell.

"And looking forward to a good show," Matador said, enthusiastic for this.

"Heh, this is gonna be good," Hanuman said, eager to begin. Mikazuchi grunted in agreement, a twinkle to his eyes.

"Let's go," Naoki said, going ahead to get the door to open up.

There was a large hole close to the elevator; it began moving towards him immediately. Near the door to the other half of the hospital basement, a pair of the shikigami were investigating the scattered papers. "Ah, Demi, welcome back," one of them said. Neither of them felt like the one he'd allied with. "It's been quiet here, but something in the air has recently changed."

"The Riders of the Apocalypse are here," he warned them. "Get to your kodamas and hide them; I'll handle the other fiends."

"We will, thanks," the shikigami said before following his peer through the door to fetch their wards.

"They probably won't attack the kodamas, but better safe than sorry," Naoki said, bracing himself for the upcoming fall.

Like with Matador, the hole dropped them into an entirely different landscape. The violent gold clouds above and the red earth below were the same as before. But this time, the overgrown ruins of a town surrounded them. The foul air buzzed with flies; rotting trash and decayed corpses had been left behind. There was an oppressive feeling around them; Naoki's horn sensed that if they didn't deal with White Rider swiftly, being in this place would sicken them all, even those who normally resisted or even nulled ailments.

To make matters more difficult, White Rider was armed with a bow. His horse had many blue eyes all over its body, none of which looked healthy. "Facing me is facing any conqueror in history, ultimately futile," White said. "You think you can take on we ancient ones who have been in the nightmares of humankind since you could escape the nature of beasts?"

"In your current form, yes," Naoki said. That limited even these ancient fiends. In his true nature, the manifestation of conquest could be nearly unbeatable as an enemy.

White Rider raised his hand, calling out a pair of crystal angels that had pulsing red glows for hearts. Divine Virtue, angels with their wills bound to White, weak to Force and Death, Expel would be reflected. White himself had no apparent weaknesses. "It's time to see if you will be a conqueror or be conquered." Then he blasted them with a maelstrom of fire.

Feeling that the angels could be a problem, Naoki used Concentrate. At the same time, he knew a way that White Rider could make himself even more difficult to fight. "Matador, take out his horse," Naoki ordered.

"Interesting opening," Matador said, then whirled his cape around himself to get ready to strike. Hanuman, Yagatarasu, and Mikazuchi were working to make their group stronger. While one of the Virtues managed to lower their defenses, Naoki got them knocked out with Tornado. But the lowered defense made a bright shot from White Rider's bow hit Naoki hard. It nearly killed him.

Fortunately, Daisoujou had held off on doing anything for just this possibility. He got their whole group healed up immediately. Then White Rider used a time slowing ability like Heeho had, keeping them from doing anything while he summoned out three Virtues, used Prominence again to knock them back down, and then started to back off out of their reach.

Matador moved right as the Dragon Eye was fading, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. He cut through the many-eyed horse's neck before White Rider could react to him being there. With a pained scream, the horse dissolved into black magatsuhi. White Rider stumbled gracelessly to the ground, dazed enough that he took a moment to make sure the white crown on his head remained there.

"We don't have time, the other two Riders are approaching. Take him out now!"

The words had come from his mouth, but Naoki didn't feel they were entirely his own. The magatama... but there wasn't time for that. Although he felt like his whole body was burning from the Prominence, he threw Deadly Fury at White Rider and his Virtues. It was like dozens of golden bottle rockets, burning off any bit of anger or annoyance. His vision got hazy as he collapsed from the effort. The sounds of the battle around him were distant. No, he didn't want to stop this now. He'd be saved from death, but he needed the cooperation and respect of the Riders in particular. They were important to his plans.

Then he was healed fully again. Checking the battlefield while he got to his feet, he noticed the one Virtue who'd only been clipped by his attack get taken out with Yagatarasu's Wind Cutter. Mikazuchi and Hanuman had responded to his orders by closing in to attack White Rider while he was still dazed by having his horse killed. And Matador finished the Rider off with his sword. The Candelabrum of Compassion clattered on the ground.

The bullfighter stepped back with a bow. "I am under your command, so it's yours."

"Right," Naoki said, hurrying over to claim the candelabrum. The black flames it held turned white, quivering because his hand was. Ignoring that reaction from the near-death, he held the candelabrum out. "White Rider, come back."

He did so promptly, appearing with his horse again. It must have been a particularly hasty revival as there was a scar on the horse's neck now. "You really need some more strength to pull off a tactic like that," White Rider said. "But I admire the will to take it anyhow."

"Drop the small talk, you're with me now," Naoki said. Now he could feel the two other candelabrum approaching. The battlefield shifted subtly.

White Rider bowed his head to that. "I am the Fiend White Rider, I acknowledge you as my conqueror."

"I am the Demifiend, I will use your power well." He then sent Compassion away because the other two Riders were in the battlefield. "Keep back and don't let the others engage you directly; I'm sure you can handle use of your powers best on your own."

"By keeping away from battle?" White Rider asked, testing him.

"By keeping out of reach," Naoki specified. "You've got a bow and a horse; I took you down fast to keep you from taking advantage of that."

"Very well," he said, satisfied with the answer. Although honestly, he might be able to take hits better than any of them.

The sickly village than burst into flames. Even the bodies changed, having died more violently. From one of the streets, Red Rider's horse slowed down as they approached. The horse was brawny and wild-spirited, looking normal save for its blood red coat. Red himself drew a steel sword with a blade so long that it fit well for combat on horseback. But as a manifestation of war, Naoki didn't doubt that his skills would be masterful however he fought. Two angels with heavy armor flew in with him: Powers, a stage weaker than the Virtues but still similar.

"Already fallen, have you White?" Red asked.

"He had a good strategy," White said, now positioned near one of the burning houses with the rest between him and Red's forces. Naoki thought of saying something, but felt a sudden pang of hunger. Actually, he hadn't eaten anything aside from the magatama and the rice porridge since the world ended. No, he needed to focus on this battle.

Red Rider shrugged at White's statement. "Well no conqueror is invincible; war can do in the mightiest, as you will plainly see." He then charged his horse right towards them.

Let's not risk too much with Deadly Fury; try Xeros Beat or Chaos Blade if you want to attack all of them. Single physical attack skills are limited to Lunge, we really should find others to fix that. There is Glacial Blast, you should be capable of handling that magic. He's going to want a fight. We might've been able to trick White if we weren't under the pressure of these two approaching, Red won't fall for mere trickery...

'Unless...' Things seemed slow as his magatama tried to work out the situation. Naoki worked with them on ideas. Red Rider, like White and probably the others, could not be afflicted by ailments. Neither could his horse as long as it was under his control, but what if something broke that? The Riders had been asked to watch over him but to give their all for these battles, yet if he did something apparently stupid...

Within the last few steps of the horse, they had a plan. It felt desperate, possibly due to the influence of Black Rider's power. Naoki moved in the way and shifted his posture as if he was going to punch the horse. While he was the manifestation of war, Red Rider pulled at his horse's mane, drawing it out of his attack run at White. He also brought up his sword to attack back. Naoki's followers, even the fiends of them, were momentarily worried along with trying to put the touch of famine out of mind.

Naoki wasn't done, though. He shifted his movement to strike at Red Rider's hipbone. Using the guidance of his magatama, he turned it from a punch to an upward kick that let him knock Red Rider off balance, grab the red horse's mane, then shove the Rider off his own horse. Red was just as shocked to be taken off his horse and Hanuman was quick enough to attack him in that moment. The horse continued its turn, running a few steps before stopping. Now, how did he control a horse?

No problem, we've got that covered too.

"Mikazuchi, I'll leave this battle to you," Naoki called. "Black Rider's going to keep us distracted as long as he's on the field. I'll go after him; keep everyone in good shape until I get back. Yagatarasu, with me."

"Yes sir!" Mikazuchi said, then attacked one of the Powers as it tried to get Red out of the middle of their group. The three-legged crow flew to Naoki's side, ready to follow.

The fiends were too used to working on their own to leave one of them in charge. Mikazuchi should have the right mind for it, plus he had Daisoujou's healing to rely on. Signaling the horse to gallop out of area, Naoki focused on finding where Black Rider was. He was in this space... on the street to the east, heading around north to get behind White. Naoki directed the horse between the flames to intercept him. Once they were in sight of each other, Black directed his horse to run down an open street, away from the rest.

Naoki pursued him to an opening in front of what appeared to be a church; it too was enveloped with flames, making this place blisteringly hot. Black Rider pulled his black horse around to face him. With the silver scales he carried, he didn't seem as threatening as Red. However, Naoki felt he was just as much of a threat.

"You stole Red's horse?" Black asked, faintly impressed and trying not to show it.

"Right from under him," Naoki said.

Black fiddled with his scales, making them clatter. "I see. But is it a theft you can maintain? A few of us demons are tied to certain animals by our own image. You couldn't have a Rider without something to ride, yes?"

"They were both stunned when we took them off," he said. The smoke was starting to remind him of smoked meats, or a freshly grilled meal would be great. Wait, that was a distraction that sapped his energy.

Take too long and we could starve just talking to him.

Unconcerned and counting on his power, Black Rider made some small weights appear on his scale. "While you have physical contact, your will to remain on the horse is overriding Red Rider's identity with his horse. Very interesting, and to have asserted control over the horse so quickly... but then you have already beaten White and have Conquest on your side, so then..."

Black drained ice, so this wasn't a good context to test Glacial Blast in. Naoki choose Xeros Beat instead, viewing the horse as separate from the rider to make sure the attack hit both. When the attack flung the weights off the scale, Black seemed irritated. When it hit the horse, the animal panicked and bolted. Black Rider was immune to ailments. But as he said, he was tied to his horse. Naoki encouraged the red horse to pursue them, using Focus and rapidly consulting with his magatama on how to aim this right.

Ahead of him, Black managed to stay mounted but wasn't able to calm down his horse or himself. He swung his silver scales back clumsily, making them flail wildly and hit himself in the skull. A shining orb was flung into the burning village. Megidoleon; his magatama warned him that it was a massive spell that would kill him. Naoki pushed the horse to run as fast as it could, missing the explosion of blinding light behind them. Luckily, Yagatarasu kept pace; she didn't even falter as the shock wave hit them.

He managed to catch up to Black in that time. As the Rider readied his scales for another spell, Naoki sent another Xeros Beat at him; it came from his eyes somehow, giving him a brief close-up of his main target just before it released. The horse got disintegrated. Black Rider was flung into a burning building at the edge of this town, causing it to collapse on top of him. Pulling the horse to slow and turn around, Naoki felt like the Rider was still conscious.

By the time the red horse slowed to a walk, Black Rider rose out of the flames. He was no longer panicked. While anyone else might have been enraged at this, Black was honestly impressed now. But he wasn't about to stop without a full defeat. A shining orb started to form within the scales. Naoki used Chaos Blade this time, not bothering to boost with Focus since this needed to take him out quickly. If it didn't work, he might have to start this battle all over again from White.

Black Rider died, collapsing back into the burning rubble before turning into magatsuhi. His spell dissipated as it was incomplete, as did the feeling of hunger from his presence. When the candelabrum tumbled out of the wreckage, Naoki waved his demon forward. "Bring it to me; I can't get off or I'll lose the horse."

"Yes," Yagatarasu said, flying down to grab it in one of her legs. As she handed it over, she said, "You're doing really well; I haven't noticed any of the signs that you've died in this yet."

"I haven't, thank you," Naoki said, taking the Candelabrum of Wisdom. "Black Rider, come back."

When he reappeared, he didn't bring back the feeling of famine. "I wasn't expecting..."

"No small talk now, we've still got to defeat Red," Naoki ordered, holding the candelabrum tight.

Black Rider bowed his head respectfully. "Very well. I am the Fiend Black Rider, we shall ravage your enemies, even should they be my kin."

"I am the Demifiend, I will use your power well." He sent the candelabrum away and pointed back to where the others were. "I'd like you to hit them with that Megidolean before Red or his angels see us."

"Yes, lead the way," Black said.

In the wake of the last one, the flames of this town were burning more wildly, reaching far overhead as Naoki, Yagatarasu, and Black Rider raced back to the town center. Barely any buildings were standing and some of the flames had grown into walls. Naoki planned matters with his magatama as it was another circumstance where he needed to move swiftly. Once Black tapped his scales to start his spell, Naoki used Focus in case anything survived. He was expecting Red to.

Megidoleon exploded, but Naoki already had his eyes closed and his legs moving. He jumped off the horse while it was running towards the group, lessening the damage from that as much as he could. The powers died to Black's spell. Clinging to life, Red noticed his horse rushing by and moved to regain control. Naoki judged Red Rider's remaining energy quickly, then used Chaos Blade against him and his horse. It struck hard as Red wasn't paying attention at that very second, destroying them both.

Naoki got back to his feet as the light from the Megidoleon was fading away, heading over to claim the Candelabrum of Insight. He'd actually done what he'd only been hoping to do, defeat three of the four Riders without dying. Would that be enough to impress Pale Rider to offer his challenge? If so, he wasn't coming out to do so now. Naoki knew he could get into the Third Kalpa now, but he'd rather relish this victory for a while.

"Hell, you could be a legend now, Demifiend," Hanuman said, genuinely impressed.

"Yeah, we always knew so!" Mikazuchi said, holding his sword up in triumph. And he had kept the group here in good shape.

"I knew you all would do a great job as well," Naoki said, proud of them too.

"Do you know how many people have managed to steal my horse?" Red Rider said as he reappeared. "No one until you, that's how many. Pale didn't seem too sure of you, but I have no hesitation." He crossed his sword arm over his chest as a salute and bowed his head. "I am Red Rider, the flames of war are at your command."

Looking straight at him, Naoki replied, "I am the Demifiend, I will use your power well."

"I'm sure of it since you didn't die once against us," White Rider said, coming forward to join the rest. "You've been learning quickly."

"Yes, you didn't even falter when I tried to use your curiosity as a distraction," Black Rider said. "I really thought that would get you at least once, or that you'd miss me before I attacked."

Yagatarasu chuckled. "He knew you were both here when you were arrived."

"Then what kind of place are we going to assault now that you have the three of us in alliance?" Red Rider asked.

"Nowhere yet, I still need to look into things and wait at least to the next full Kagutsuchi," Naoki said. He didn't want to start anything major until he could do that sacrificial fusion.

"Yeah, you missed our last major operation when we broke into the Obelisk," Mikazuchi said.

"I'm going to head over to Asakusa and call my usual travel group to there," Naoki said, knowing that it'd be quickest to get outside somewhere and use his motorcycle. "While I'm waiting on the right phase, I'll figure out where to go next. I'll call on you when I need you."

"Too bad, but that's how it goes," Red Rider said, setting his sword aside. The burning village began to fade, sending them back to the hospital.

Black held a hand up to ask him to wait a moment. "There is something about the angels I think you should know. They have been looking for you, but they've mostly been spread throughout the outdoors areas of the Vortex World. But lately, they've shown strong interest in the Reason of Yosuga. It seems the Divine clan at least has chosen to ally with that one."

"And if the Divine clan is fully committed, the Seraphs could appear in the world," White added. "Under Kagutsuchi's watch, the Seraphs are considered too influential and unbalanced to be involved in the processes of Creation. But given that they're aware of us being here, the Divines only need choose unanimously to get Kagutsuchi to allow the entrance of the Seraphs."

And the angels would probably tell Chiaki about their distrust of him if they decided to fully back her. Naoki was disappointed at that, but there might still be a chance to talk some sense into her. "I see. I probably would need you three if I end up facing them."

"That would be wise," Red said, although he seemed more eager for the battle itself. "And we will be traveling with you, even if you don't see us. We definitely don't want them ambushing you."

"Sure thing," Naoki said.

* * *

I don't want to provoke Kagutsuchi too soon, so I've been sparing in my appearances in the Vortex World itself. But I do like a good bar and Nyx's place is the only one that's sprouted up in this one. She always has a good sense for atmosphere and I can count on her to be more observant than most demons realize.

"The fairies have been claiming Yoyogi is now a rock solid fortress," Nyx says, leaning against the bar as she speaks with me. "But I have a feeling it's all going to explode in their face soon. Gossip about the Yahirono Himorogi being there has been spreading and several dangerous souls are definitely interested in claiming it. I feel like at least two of the Reason bearers could go after it; Hikawa would, but his injures must be keeping him wherever he is hiding."

"The Diet building," I tell her. It might be some information she'll need to slip to the right people.

She nods. "Good place. I don't know about the fourth Reason, though. There's been some talk that it might be one of the manikins. Far-fetched, but possible."

It is one of them and that could be trouble. Naoki's got his soft spots and it seems the manikins affect him that way. While it could still play into my favor, the Reason they carry would be one that's attractive to him. Perhaps I should try for someone more willing to be a monster again; that hasn't worked too well before, but the right person would be a good tool for me.

Before I can ask Nyx about other gossip, a new patron walks in: a very attractive woman with a pink veil drawn over her face. If she doesn't want to shock people, Mother Harlot would rather distract them by not showing her skeletal face. She's lighthearted right now; something must be going well. "Hello, here you are," she says, coming to me directly.

"Would you like me to get you a drink?" Nyx asks, smiling at her friend as she stands up straight.

"No need, you know that I always bring my own," Harlot says cheerfully, materializing her favored jeweled goblet. "I just had to tell him something." She chuckles in a low tone as she joins us at the bar. "I'm sure Pale Rider won't be coming too fast with this story."

"Has one of them been taken down then?" I ask. The labyrinth is now secure and I trust Pale Rider to keep Naoki with us for now. The hush from her entrance continues as others listen in.

"Demifiend has defeated the other three Riders handily," she says. Harlot's probably doing this to annoy the Riders. "Didn't die once, and yet took them in quick succession. Black and Red even tried assaulting him at once, not that it helped them."

"That's a first," I say with a smile. He's doing remarkably well then. Indeed, none of his predecessors managed to survive and win against the Riders like that. And the lounge is packed; this story is going to spread rapidly. I don't need to help it along.

After taking a sip, she nods. "But it gets better when you hear how he did it. Demifiend took White out first by ordering his horse assassinated, then assaulting him with Deadly Fury."

"He's not strong enough to use that skill safely yet," I say. It shouldn't take him long to get there, but it's good seeing him take risks like that and surviving. Just as long as he doesn't end up annihilating himself doing something profoundly stupid...

"He still did," Harlot says. "That's when the other two jumped in, right after he affirmed a contract with White." She's eager enough to pass along the story that she sets her goblet down. "Red tried a full on assault, like you'd expect, and so Demifiend went and stole his horse."

"Really?" Nyx asks, wide-eyed at this. I'm surprised myself. This is excellent. If he agrees to my plan, he's going to tear up the forces of our enemy like they won't believe. I want him to be mine.

"And then he left his troop, including Daisoujou, Matador, and White Rider, to keep Red Rider busy while he chased after Black Rider before the latter could carry out a sneak assault! He even got Black into a state of panic for a brief time, which I had thought utterly impossible, but Demifiend still pulled it off. Once he defeated him, Demifiend called Black back to turn his sneak attack against Red. He then distracted Red with his own horse and dealt a critical finishing blow against him." Harlot hits the bar in emphasis as the listening crowd gasps. "It was absolutely amazing, and such a pity that you missed seeing it in action. I had to come tell you immediately."

"That is unfortunate," I say. And yet, fortunate in that others are hearing this so soon. Naoki's shown defiance against those who try to threaten him, so let's see how he handles demons in awe of what they've heard of him. "But he is the one who gave me this crook in my nose, so I believe it."

"Since he's shown himself well in fair battles, is it fine now if I try for an utterly unfair battle?" Harlot asks.

Ah, that could be another reason why she came to me directly with this. Even so, he's defeated three of the Riders without dying. I'm sure that against her ideas of unfair tricks, he will prevail once more. "Certainly, I'd like that. But there's some time before he should come across you. There's something I'd like you to do for me first."

She nods. "Of course, what is it?"

The manikins. Jiyuu needs to die.


	28. Future Sight

The dead trees made Yoyogi look different than other places in the Vortex World. Sakahagi wondered if they would still make for good cover to ambush unsuspecting fairies from. Although if he were them, he'd hide out within the construction site instead. That place would be harder for an invader to ambush in, easier for the invader to be ambushed.

Looking at the half-constructed tower, he felt a seething anger just at the brink of boiling over. Little annoyances built up over years, thoughts hidden out of a desire for conformity and respect. And then a company that wouldn't normally be an opponent bought up this natural refuge to build upon... it was not only disrespectful, but something seemed unethical about it all. Nobody raised a fuss until construction began because almost no one knew the plans. Another log for the fire of hatred but not enough to spark...

Sakahagi shook his head, dismissing those thoughts. They came and went, things he shouldn't know and didn't know why he did. Perhaps he'd gone too long without hunting or fighting. But that should be solved soon enough. He would get into the park for its treasure one way or another.

Something small got knocked ahead by his foot, something squirming and white. As it tried to crawl away, Sakahagi snatched it out of the sands. He kept hold of it behind its large pincer, keeping it from snapping at him. "Hmph, what are you doing alive here?" he mumbled. "Well you won't be for long."

Before he could get hold of his knife, the bug stopped squirming for a moment to surround both of them with powerful fire. Sakahagi cursed, dropping into the sand to make sure his trophy coat didn't get torched. But he didn't let go of the bug. It had to pay.

"Unless you can give me that fire, I will squash you," he said as he got up.

Hellish sounds filled his head, growls and fiery crackles. Yet the bug gave into his threats. It granted him not only the fire magic, but also more innate magical power to go with it. There was also an understanding that he could only have that power so long as he held onto the bug.

"Fine, then you're mine." Sakahagi tied it to his coat before heading in. What would roasted fairy smell like?

* * *

When Naoki arrived at Asakusa by his motorcycle, it seemed deserted. Like with the Shibuya intersection, he was used to seeing this place as so much busier. Now the famed gate stood in front of a large crater, surrounded by sands and fragments of ruined city. There were some manikins here, clearing the streets of rubble and taking tools to other areas. There were even open shops here, but far fewer than should be here. A junk shop, a healer's fountain, a terminal, and a cathedral entrance: they should be fine waiting out the phases of Kagutsuchi here.

He called Yatagarasu, Mikazuchi, and Hanuman to him, letting the fiends do as they pleased for the time being. "I don't want to cause the manikins trouble, so be respectful of them," he said, mostly to Hanuman.

"They're those clay weaklings, right?" Hanuman asked, scratching his head. "Who'd care about them?"

"I do," Naoki said. "They're strange, yes, but they have a hard enough time as it is."

The golden monkey shrugged at that. "I see it as worthless to bully them around, since they couldn't help me get stronger."

"It's one of Demi's human eccentricities," Yagatarasu said. "A good one at that."

"It's not eccentric to want to protect the weak," Mikazuchi said.

"Says you, kinshin," Hanuman countered.

Under the gate, one of the manikins greeted them. "Welcome to Asakusa, city of the manikins," she said. "I love saying that."

"Hello," Naoki said, waving to her.

"Oh, you were the Demifiend, right?" she asked, waving back. "Good to have you here."

"How are things?" There was enthusiasm here, pride and joy, and some nervousness still.

"There's a lot to be done, but we've got most of it handled," she said, then pointed back outside. "The thing we don't got handled is the four big oni that were in the tunnels we used to get here. They used to be in the Mantra, but Thor kicked them out and they weren't there when the headquarters got attacked. While Futomimi got us through without alerting them, he said they were in there. There's also a few manikins that don't seem to be here. They might still be in there too."

"I can take care of the oni for you," Naoki said. Four oni shouldn't be bad compared to what he fought off in the Second Kalpa.

"That's great, thank you!" she said, clapping her hands together. "Be careful, they're tough ones and it's dark and confusing down there."

In the direction she had pointed him to, there was a train station entrance still standing even though a large sand dune sat behind it. The station itself was clean, hardly damaged at all in spite of the regular lights not working. Some emergency lamps managed to be on, letting faint blue light in the area. Past the platforms, the tunnels continued on in complete darkness. While Naoki could sense the rocky tunnels and rough ladders, he cast Lightoma for his demons. The manikin said this place was confusing, but its structure wasn't grating on his mind.

It might have once been train tunnels, but they were more maze-like now. On the second level down, he sensed a ring of tunnel around a large room; three other halls wandered away from the ring. There were also invisible holes and glowing cursed floors around. But in that encircled room, there was a varied group: Kamurogi, Nirvana, four oni, three manikins, and one angel, Divine Trumpeter. That was who they were looking for except the divine.

This could be bad. Still, Naoki decided to intervene. There were multiple ways into the central room, including a hall behind the oni. They had to use Liftoma to get past a cursed area. "There's a strong angel in there with the four oni, so we might end up fighting her too," Naoki told his demons. "And these oni are different. We can still take them."

"Of course," Mikazuchi said.

To sneak up on them, Naoki pushed his Lightoma orb back. The two magatama were being held by the strongest of the four oni and the angel. "What is wrong with you?" one of the oni, Fuu-ki, asked in anger.

"I don't believe anything is," the trumpeter replied. While they seemed to be in conflict, she wasn't concerned.

"If you're gonna fight, then fight!" The strongest of them, Ongyo-ki, swung his black polearm at the angel. It looked like it should hit, but something warped the weapon so it didn't touch her.

"I said I'd protect them, not that I'd fight." She was keeping herself between the oni and the manikins.

Maybe he should wipe out all five of them while they were focused on each other. If it wasn't for the manikins, he'd go ahead with that. As the angel had a magatama, he could track her down for it later. Naoki turned back to his demons. "Hit just the oni, before they notice."

They had defeated three of the Riders, so it was no surprise that their combined sneak attack took out three of the powerful oni. Only the black one was left after the eruption of light and sound; he completely shut out physical attacks and so three of them didn't hit him as hard. "Hey, what gives?" Ongyo-ki asked, turning around to face them instead. "We're in the middle of a battle here, buzz off."

"We're taking over this battle," Naoki said. "And it looks like you won't stand a chance."

"Hah, that's what you think!" He spun his polearm around, forming a haze around himself. Three illusions appeared to stand in place of his allies. Behind him, the angel turned to the manikins and encouraged them to leave the room. "I'll avenge my followers and utterly humiliate you!"

"Illusions mean nothing," Naoki said. As his single attack skills were limited, he simply used Thunderclap against the real one, allowing the others to target him. That dispelled the illusion and it didn't take long to dispatch him as well. Kamurogi dropped to the ground and was soon in his possession.

The angel and the manikins had left. Since they were headed to Asakusa, it was easy to catch up with them. Naoki opted to hang back. The magatama should be claimed as soon as he could, yes, but he didn't want to take on the trumpeter rashly. Putting Sophia in the fore should keep him from being killed right off, but she felt like she might have the power to do so with other attacks.

"Great, we're finally out of there!" one of the manikins said as they climbed the stairwell filled with the blue light of Kagutsuchi.

"I like being underground, but I'm glad to be out of there too," another said. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble; I'm glad I could find you," the angel said cheerfully. The tone of it made her sound air-headed.

"But where's the town? It's supposed to be here."

She patted his back. "Just head out and turn around, it's not far." She followed them most of the way to the town gate, but stopped well before reaching it. Once she'd seen them enter the gate, she turned back to them. "Hello there, thank you so much for distracting those oni for us! I tried to tell the three of them to run for it while I had them distracted, but they didn't know where to go."

Now that she was addressing him directly, Naoki realized that her voice was familiar. "You're the one who keeps talking to me before I see the future."

The trumpeter smiled and flew closer. "Yay, you noticed! Yes, that's me. I've been watching you for a while."

"What's going on?" Yatagarasu whispered to him.

"I don't know," he whispered back. Then he looked back to the trumpeter. "Don't you have orders to kill me on sight?"

She paused and tilted her head. "Hmm, do I? I don't recall any such orders."

"That's weird," Naoki said. "It's fine by me."

"Okay then." The trumpeter giggled. "Did you come to me about the magatama? I was trying to teach it a new trick, although I don't know if it worked. But then I'd also like to send you a lot further into the future once, to speak with somebody."

"Myself in the far future?" Naoki asked.

"That's right. He had something he wanted to say to you. Are you ready for such a trip? The magatama will trigger it once you take it."

While Naoki wasn't sure how this was going to work, there was a pull from the magatama to join him regardless of what was about to happen. "I don't know, but let's go for it."

"Are you sure about this?" Yagatarasu asked.

"Yes, though I do want you to keep an eye on this trumpeter," Naoki said. And the Riders would be watching too; he could feel them out of sight.

"No need to be formal, you may call me Elzbieta," the trumpeter said, taking Nirvana out of a hidden pocket in her robes to hand over. "Kashima Naoki, see what the future may bring you."

While he knew he should be cautious, especially with her having messed with it, the draw was too strong and Naoki took Nirvana without hesitation. It didn't hurt to swallow, although his mind blanked out for a moment. Like coming out of the dark tunnels into an even brighter light. After a moment, it changed into the glow of candles and storms. Thunder rumbled overhead; rain pattered against a large long roof. A portal like the one Baphomet used to call Mara was under his feet.

"Good, you came," a man in his forties said.

Licking his lips, Naoki sensed familiar skills within him. However, he didn't have the power of a demon. They were in the same place as before, a church in a ruined city. Death could be felt here. This too had once been Tokyo. "Yes." He opened his eyes and found himself as a rather ordinary looking man. You wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd easily. But with all the occult gear arranged for this summoning, he clearly wasn't ordinary.

He even had a paper charm on his wrist like Hikawa had, only purple in color. When the older Naoki tapped it, he said, "You have eighteen of your magatama. When did I call you from in the Vortex World? Just keep in mind that things may not have gone the same way for me as they have for you."

"I've just arrived in Asakusa to check on the manikins," Naoki told him. What else might let him know the approximate time frame? "I saved Yuko from the Obelisk, but then Aradia stole her away and Hikawa's in hiding to recover from some injury. I've completed the Second Kalpa and just recently defeated three of the Riders, White, Red, and Black."

"That's about when I hoped for," he said. "Have you made a decision on what Reason you'll follow, if any?"

Shaking his head, he answered, "I know which ones I'm not following, but I still have to ask Yuko what her's is about."

"I see. I'm afraid I can't really tell you about that. Your time is already flowing differently than what I experienced. For instance, I haven't met Elzbieta until just recently. She's the one that let me call on you." He then waved him over to one of the pews that was in better shape. "You may come off of that and sit down, we might be talking for a while."

"What's going on here?" he asked, going to sit with him. While he could sense a power like Expel magic in this structure, it did nothing to him while he had Sophia protecting him. There was also that taste of death in the air, lingering like mold. "You have skills but only a human's power."

"That's what my decisions led to," his older self said. "When I was in your position, I had little to base them on. There was what everyone was telling me, but they all proved willing to lie to and manipulate me. I ended up deciding to restore the world to what it had been." He shook his head. "It didn't work out because it could not go back to that state."

"Why not? Kagutsuchi is supposed to have the power of Creation, so that should be the simple answer."

He tapped his charm. "But its deeper purpose is to change worlds, make history forget things that are inconvenient to the one in charge. The world we grew up in had a mundane character. As such, science and technology triumphed over magic; beings like demons and angels had a difficult time existing. But to trigger the Conception, the Amala drums had to be connected to this world. It came back seeming just how it had been, but it had irreversibly been changed to a world with a stronger supernatural element."

"That's why this place has power?" Naoki asked.

"Yes. It's not enough to affect me, but is enough to let me hide this summoning. At first, few people noticed the change. I had destroyed Kagutsuchi when it challenged me over the unorthodox Reason I brought, so Lucifer allowed me to keep my abilities with a warning that my true enemy would appear in the future. But not the magatama; they were removed, as well as other demonic traits like my extra senses. Although those weren't too useful to me."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Really? They've been valuable to me, even if it can overwhelm me sometimes."

"Lucifer might have tweaked them between you and me," he said. "I could get some information about demons when I focused on them, but any time I needed such facts, I couldn't read them. When I brought the world back, I didn't think I really needed those powers. Life went on as normal for a few years. I went to college and had a teaching job for a few years."

"What'd you teach?" he asked, curious about it.

Smiling warmly, he said, "Elementary school, mostly math and helping to introduce science to them. It took a lot of effort to make those subjects appealing enough that they learned it well, but I had fun with it. I was even leading a homeroom that last year." Then he turned more serious. "When I was taking my homeroom students out to catch caterpillars for study, things took a turn for the worse. Some hostile angels appeared and attacked the park we were visiting. In trying to protect my students, I got beaten into a coma."

He was telling the truth. "That's awful. Do you know what they were after?"

"Me," he said. "But if they were trying to eliminate me before they established a foothold in Japan, they failed to finish me off. Our family visited me in the hospital often, and one day..." he paused on thinking of something. "I know the magatama have some bad effects. Do you recall the names of our cousins?"

He shook his head. "Not anymore. But I knew their souls when I encountered them."

"Well, I'm not sure if you'd recognize her name if I said it, but the older girl came to see me alone one day after school. It was her senior year of high school at the time. She met Lucifer that day and he confirmed that it was the angels that attacked me. He also offered her the magatama so she could get revenge for me."

"He turned her into this?" Naoki asked, angered at that. Maybe she had been the same age he was now, but he still wouldn't want her to live through what he was.

"Not exactly," his older self said. "If he'd done that, she'd have been too obvious a target. But the magatama are meant as a bridge between demon and human. They're more difficult to understand and absorb to someone who isn't a mix of the two. She had a rough time adapting to their powers, but she made it work and fought against the angels that were trying to control our world." He glanced towards the windows. "When I came out of the coma, things weren't this bad. But Tokyo was a dangerous war zone between the angels and demons. Even the hospital I was in had been abandoned; I was lucky to awaken when I did or I wouldn't have survived."

"Where is she now?" The storm drowned out any sounds that might have been outside, although Naoki didn't sense anything moving near the church.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. The human population has been decimated here in Japan; we don't know about the rest of the world anymore. Lately, the demonic and angelic forces have seemed ragged and thin as well. She is probably still out there fighting with the former. She's gotten really tough through this, surviving through the hell on Earth out there. At this point, I'd be grateful for a truce so the daily violence finally stops. But both sides are fighting tooth and nail to the bitter end, as always."

The words felt ominous. "I've heard it's been a long-standing stalemate where neither side can take dominance for long."

"That's the way it is," he confirmed. "Elzbieta and I wanted you to know about the various futures so you're not making decisions blindly. Even true restoration would have its flaws as our world was flawed already."

"The flaws still aren't worth Conception, or even all this," Naoki said.

"I would prefer the mundane flaws as well," his older self said.

"But what's the deal with Elzbieta?" he asked. "I've only spoken to her face-to-face once and I already know she's not a normal angel. She seems to be helping me, even to get to you, when all the other angels are out to destroy my very soul."

"Are they?" he asked, concerned.

Naoki nodded. "Metatron even broke into the Amala Labyrinth after me and from talk I've heard, that angel is rarely seen.

"I've never seen Metatron myself," he said. "I've certainly heard him. When most of the city was still standing, he had taken over the radio stations and was constantly broadcasting a program that brainwashed those who listened too long." He held a hand up, looking at the space around them. "Can you sense the death here?"

"Yes, but it feels like it was some time ago," he said, taking another taste of it. "Months."

"Those who listened to Metatron's program regularly tore down the building that had been here and built this church and others as a result," he said, pointing out a stained glass mural at the front. It seemed like it could be Metatron, from his silver-feathered wings to the braided pale gold hair. "They were in a frenzy, working as long as their bodies would handle. While many died in the construction process, many more were pushed into choosing suicide here to give their souls up for the angels. They were promised Paradise for the sacrifice, but our cousin has told me they're little more than drones praising the God of Law now. The devastation of Tokyo here, and perhaps the world, was the result of those sacrifices."

"So what about Elzbieta?" Naoki reminded him. "Is she some kind of spy for Lucifer?

He was briefly embarrassed to have been caught rambling. "Oh... no. She has no contact with Lucifer as far as I know. And she's not really a spy. She's more of a saboteur."

"What's she sabotaging?" Maybe Lucifer's plans? But then if Kagutsuchi or the god of law had also ordered the angels to destroy him, employing a spy or saboteur didn't make sense.

"The simplest answer seems to be both sides," he said. "She's giving you a chance to force Lucifer into a situation where you can question him before you commit to helping or denying him. But on her request, you have to figure out that chance yourself. If you can sense the death in here, you should be capable of noticing it. She also plans on obstructing the other angels, but she has to blend in with them to make her plans work. There's also... if you really want," he slowed over the last sentence, bothered by whatever this option was.

"If I want to what?" Naoki asked.

"If you decide to restore the world, there is a way this war might be held back," he said. "It could buy everyone the chance to adapt to a less mundane world and give humanity a better fighting chance. I've learned that the time the angels invaded the park was the first time they operated openly in the world, and they found their way into the world because of me. If you want to restore the world, you need a way to hide from not just the angels, but Lucifer and his forces as well because they would hunt you back down. Elzbieta has a way to do that."

"How's that?" He had a hunch that it was something harsh.

His older self rubbed his neck, then looked over at him. "It's embarrassing to admit this even to you as my younger self. But, the angels found me because I still bear a love for Lucifer. He did horrible things to me in the Vortex World. One of the worst, to others, is that he tricked me into viewing him like family. The way he chose to appear..."

"Like Grandfather," Naoki said.

He nodded. "Yes, and in the way he dealt with me even though he didn't speak with me directly, he got himself into the hole in my heart made from the abrupt loss of my entire family. That kind of bond to the first of the fallen angels is noticeable to the senses demons and angels have. Of course, I tried to hide it. There was no way I was getting hired as an elementary school teacher if the school knew I was like that."

"Right," Naoki said, looking at his lap. His face felt warm with shame, but he couldn't deny his feelings either, no matter how he tried thinking about it. "I'm grateful for when he's helped even as I'm suspicious of his motives in doing so."

His older self patted Naoki's shoulder. "There was one time when the young woman with him said that I'd inherit his will; that was one of the things that pushed me away from following him. I haven't seen Lucifer since I started on the road to Kagutsuchi, when they appeared and said that they'd accepted my choice. But sometimes I wonder if they were disappointed or even hated me for choosing as I did. I was left with my powers, but no other help; he even passed on my magatama to my cousin."

There was regret in his words. Past them, Naoki tasted something more troubling. There was a festering emotion in his older self that was bubbling up into something conscious. It was a desire to return to what had been lost. Much like the Demifiend he'd met in the Obelisk, this other self might become willing to kill him if he thought it'd get Lucifer's attention. Was... was it possible that he'd lied about not knowing where his cousin who'd joined Lucifer was?

"I want..." the emotion nearly surged, but he got it back under control, "Actually, I want to tell you to go with Lucifer so you don't end up in a situation like mine. But that should really be your decision, not something you'd resent someone else for pushing you into. The thing is, if you decide the restore the world and want to hide from the angels and demons, you should ask Elzbieta to remove the hold Lucifer has over your heart."

"She can do that?" Naoki asked.

"Apparently so. But since it's a love that needs to be rooted out, losing your bond to Lucifer might erase all the bonds of love in your heart, including to our family."

"Are you kidding me?" It couldn't be real. Although, love was a powerful emotion and it would take drastic measures to try removing it by magic. Aradia had mentioned that he could lose all that he loved, whatever he chose. But his older self might be lying; he'd admitted to wanting to convince him to Lucifer's side.

Yes, that's hard to say. We feel there could be some truth to it, but it would fit his wishes to ally you with Lucifer. Of course, it would also fit with his wishes to kill you off. He might be restraining himself as he's not sure defeating you would work. Don't provoke him.

Normally, Naoki considered himself hard to provoke. But the magatama had proved to him otherwise; the wrong triggers could be disastrous. His older self was keeping calm so far. "No. But our family is very close. They might not be sure if they can believe such a crazy story at first, but your parents should understand and help you get back to normal. My parents believed me when they first saw me work some small magic."

"I'm sure they would help," he said. "It seems like there's no actual good way to deal with this."

"It all started with the destruction of the world," he said. "It was never a situation that could have 'good' in it from the start. I hope you can still make the best of it by, well, in whatever way you see fit."

"Did you have to deal with a more demonic side of yourself coming out at full Kagutsuchi?" Naoki asked.

He nodded. "But it was at new when the road appeared, so I may have been lucky to decide then. Sometimes I still get in strange moods in the full moon; the memories of that time are stronger then too. How are you handling it?"

"Not too well," he admitted. "Every little thought or impulse seems like a good thing to act on, and I enjoy hurting others way too much like that, whether violently or not. But the demons act like that's all normal and all the humans in the Vortex World, well, they seem to be crazy now in one way or another. I haven't even seen Chiaki for a while, but last time I did, she wanted to fuse herself with a demon and was worried about having power and authority."

"That is a bad thing about the midway state you're in," he said, understanding the issue completely. "How cooperative are your magatama? They're a bridge between your two selves trying to make you one. If anything can help give you more reason during a full Kagutsuchi, it'd be the magatama keeping a link to your rational mind open. I never even found all twenty-four, but I recall them helping with that later on."

"They cursed me badly once, but they've been mostly cooperative," he said. "I got Satan recently and it's been able to analyze situations with me, giving me a better idea of how things really are. They do have their own agenda, of course, but I trust them as my life is theirs, and theirs mine."

"You ought to appreciate their presence," his older self said. Although his countenance was calm, he fiddled with his fingers and his jealousy flared up. "I told her that, but she couldn't even hear them properly. I can't take them back now."

"How was she the last time you saw her?" Naoki said, suspicious again. "Our cousin."

"She was surviving like anyone else here. Probably better than others since she can heal herself." His eyes drifted away and he was still fidgeting with his fingers.

He's lying.

"You're lying," Naoki said, bracing himself to leave his seat quickly. "What did you do to her?"

His eyes narrowed and his hand went to a knife he had hidden. "That's none of your business! She had my magatama, I know they were mine. You know how it is. I want them back."

"How could you do anything to hurt her?" he snapped. Although, he knew exactly how. It seemed that even if his demonic traits were taken away, he still had that powerful desire for the parasites.

It'd even be enough for him to do something completely reckless if he thought he had a chance. By the time his older self had his knife drawn, Naoki had already leapt back to the summoning circle. His stronger magic magatama quickly instructed him on how to invoke the magic to send himself back. The church faded into a red haze as the older Naoki threw his knife at him. The silver streak never made it to him.

Naoki expected the Vortex World to appear in a haze quickly. Instead, things turned dark and cold as something jerked him off-course. Where was he going now? When?

Before any place appeared, someone appeared before him and collapsed onto the ground. It was yet another Demifiend, his black markings glowing red. He was bleeding from dozens of long nails sticking out of his body. However, he had the most powerful presence of any of the ones that he'd encountered yet.

"Fuck guns..." the Demifiend mumbled deliriously. "And fuck that Steven, what the hell is he even doing?"

"Who?" Naoki asked, not sure about getting close to him. He did attempt Diarahan on him, although it seemed his injuries were far too much to be healed.

He did have it in him to push himself into sitting, looking not quite at him. "Doesn't matter, I'm dead already. I just wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of certainty. You... you might just be another chance. Good."

"What happened to you?"

He shook his head. "Don't have time for that. But I can tell you from experience, get all of your magatama before the Vortex World ends. Then go visit the Cathedral of Shadows and do what they tell you. Anything less just isn't enough." He snorted. "I did that, I did everything I was supposed to and that still wasn't enough. Guess losing to Lucifer that first time was an ill omen. Here, give this to him if you get the chance." He brought out a small notebook and held it up to him.

When Naoki glanced at the cover, there was writing there he didn't recognize. Even the letters used were strange. "What is it?"

"Notes about us, you wouldn't understand yet," he said. The Demifiend looked up at him and Naoki noticed there was something strange to his red eyes. There was a feeling that he was a lot older than he appeared, far more than he should be. "He'll understand, but it's a coin toss if he wants to accept it. For your sake, and for the sake of our plan, I hope to hell that he does. I could have done this, I should have. But he undermined his own plan without realizing it."

Oh shit, he's right...

"I just met another version of myself that could be," Naoki said. "He said he backed out when he learned he was to inherit Lucifer's will. But, you accepted it?"

He smiled bitterly. "Heh, even you see it. This is a maze of bad choices and you're the one who has the most influence on the results. I may be strong, but it's not the right strength to break the stalemate. But I'm not afraid of death; I've conquered death. Oh, but if you ever end up in a place called the Diamond Realm..." his form started fading into black magatsuhi. "Seriously, fuck Steven, do not take him lightly. Don't worry, I'll get you home." He waved a hand through the air even as he vanished completely.

Everything went white. Then he felt the grit of sand on his feet, the cool blue light of Kagutsuchi. While much of the Vortex World was quiet, there was lively noise coming out of Asakusa from the working manikins. There was also noise closer to him. Black Rider had appeared; his scales softly clattered. "What have you done to him?"

"I sent his spirit to the future for a brief bit," Elzbieta said, unconcerned by the Rider's presence. "He's already back, actually."

Hang on, the skill she gave us is something we don't recognize. It's called Whisper and has some connection to your contracts with other demons. It does... hmm...

"What's Whisper?" Naoki asked, figuring that might be faster.

"It's a means to pass along orders that can't be intercepted by opponents," she said. "We trumpeters are specialized forces, since we relay orders and manipulate specific seals. Whisper can be used with your demon contracts to give instructions to your followers at a great distance, or even close by if you don't wish to be overheard."

"I could have used something like that just recently," Naoki said. It would have been nice for the battle against the three Riders, since he could have told Mikazuchi he was coming back with Black Rider. "Thanks."

She smiled. "No problem! I mostly wanted to see if I could do it."

"What is going on here?" Black Rider asked, still keeping his scales ready for casting.

"She is an odd angel, that's certain," Naoki said. "But she has helped."

"She serves our enemy," Black said.

"Do I?" Elzbieta asked, tilting her head. "All well, I did my duty as the Divine Messenger and haven't gotten any new orders yet. I think I'll keep an eye on these manikins. Most of them are such sweeties, but they need the help more than anybody. I hear you have a lot of difficult things to do; good luck, Naoki!" She flew away then, humming as she went.

"Good luck to you too," Naoki called back. Then he decided to try out Whisper with Black Rider. He didn't need to actually speak; it was something like sending a text message. 'She's the one enabling my visions of the future.'

"She is?" Black asked, looking down at him.

"She's what?" Yagatarasu asked.

"I just tried out her skill to speak to Black specifically," Naoki told them. Then he passed the notebook to Black. "Would you pass this along to Lucifer? It's apparently from himself."

The skeleton glanced at the cover and was surprised. "I... I see. Very well, I'll get it to him."

Now to wait on the full Kagutsuchi... it was at half waning, so there was plenty of time to look around here and see what the manikins were up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I had been thinking of Strange Journey when I started writing this, I could have used Mastema in place of Elzbieta. He has the right questionable status to fulfill this particular role. But then, there is something Elzbieta can do that would be trickier to pull off with Mastema, so it worked out.


	29. The Fiend and the Flayer

Chiaki looked over the fairy 'fortress' of Yoyogi Park again. This time, she was going inside no matter what they said. There was smoke beyond the construction barriers this time, a few scattered plumes. Was it the fairies, or another invader? Whichever it was, she might be able to slip in through the chaos and get the Yahirono Himorogi. That was the most important thing.

She passed through the normal gate, finding no fairies there to stop her. Considering how they'd treated her last time, it was strange. There was someone in the courtyard. She looked like a beautiful woman, wearing a nearly sheer dress decorated with gold. A pink veil was drawn across her face, attached to a lovely headdress. According to Persephone's knowledge, this was somehow a fiend, like Naoki and the evil Trumpeter.

"Are you with the fairies?" Chiaki asked, keeping some distance. She didn't want to back down like a coward. At the same time, she'd seen the kind of power that fiends had. If she could defeat one of them, then she'd definitely have the power to do as she wanted.

"Occasionally, but not now," she said, turning her head to glance at her. The veil completely obscured her face, which was a pity since she seemed so lovely. "Oh-ho, you're one of the Reason bearers, are you? Let me guess, you're after the key to Kagutsuchi's road."

"That's right," Chiaki said. "And the power to call on my goddess. Gabriel said she was the most powerful one out there."

The fiend laughed. "Is that so? In a way, in a way, although if you're speaking of Gabriel, nobody would have the power to summon that one here or anywhere. You must mean one of the avatars. Still, quite ambitious."

Was she making fun of her? Chiaki felt annoyed. "It will prove that my Reason is best. Who are you anyhow?"

"They call me Mother Harlot," she said, bowing her head. "I was thinking of hanging around here, for my own reasons. I have no interest in the Yahirono Himorogi, so go on ahead if you wish. Although, I wonder if it would have the power to call on," she chuckled again, "the goddess you have in mind, even just a face. I've seen the artifact and it certainly holds a great deal of magatsuhi for such a small object. But in my opinion, it'd only have enough to call on one of the false or faded gods."

"As long as I get the artifact, I can go elsewhere for more magatsuhi," she said. "Like Ikebukuro."

Mother Harlot shook her head. "No, Nihilo drained the area dry of magatsuhi some time ago."

Crud; she'd been hoping to get some assistance from the Mantra, but had failed to find any of its members so far. "Well, the Diet building has a lot."

"I've heard from one of my peers that Nihilo's leader is holed up there," she said.

"Really?" Chiaki grumbled to herself. But the fiends might know that because their Trumpeter had defeated Hikawa.

"Really," Mother Harlot said, calling out a goblet out of nowhere to take a drink. "We're keeping an eye on things. Would you care for a drink? I could tell you a bit more."

"No, I don't want it," Chiaki said. The fiends would be working against her purposes so she didn't want to get too friendly with one of them.

"Too bad, it'd be better than anything else you can get in this sandy wasteland," she said. "Hmm, but I always like a strong girl fighting for her place when the men assume they should be in control. Okay, I'll tell you anyhow." She crossed one arm over her chest, keeping the other free for her goblet. "I know of three places that hold a great concentration of magatsuhi. But the Obelisk is out of the question; the soul of the world lies there."

"That's obvious," she said. Actually, that was one of the rules of the Creation rites. Kagutsuchi forbid the summoning of gods within the Obelisk. Hearing that the soul of the world was there, it made more sense about why it was a rule.

Mother Harlot shifted her goblet and pointed out a direction with a thin finger. "The Amala Temple would be a great place to summon a god, plus you'd need to take the Yahirono Himorogi there anyhow. However, I hear that one of the other Reason-bearers is already there, some boy with deep connections in the Amala Network."

"That'd be Isamu," Chiaki said. Which could be an obstacle; Reason bearers weren't supposed to be attacked or defeated before they held a proof of Reason after calling their god. Then again, that wasn't an absolute rule. The place and artifact would be enough to challenge him then; Kagutsuchi probably wouldn't complain about that.

She then pointed out another direction, back where Chiaki had come from. "Then there's Mifunashiro at the center of Asakusa, which is also a place with an immense amount of magatsuhi. It's not particularly important to the rites of Creation otherwise. Although, the manikins have settled there and one of them is apparently a Reason bearer."

"Seriously?" She didn't recall running into any manikins, but Persephone knew of them as accidental creations, dolls that were little more than batteries of magatsuhi. "Those weaklings managed to conceive of a Reason?"

"Kagutsuchi is supposed to be perfectly impartial," Mother Harlot said. "If the manikin Reason bearer manages to pass the road to it, Kagutsuchi will listen, probably even grant them the world they desire. I hear they're looking for a world of equality and safety."

"More like they'd make everyone weak to be equal to them," Chiaki said, disgusted at the idea. It'd be like the girls who whined about their families not having the sort of money hers did. They didn't deserve it, but they'd drag down those who did for what they thought was fair.

"Could be," Mother Harlot said. "I think that's all the relevant information I have for you. Good luck, girl, I'd like to see you prove that women are conquerors too."

"Sure, I'll do that," Chiaki said. Seeing as there were no fairies here to stop her, she went ahead into the construction site itself. The Yahirono Himorogi should be obvious to Persephone's perception. It wouldn't be hard to acquire.

* * *

"Oh, you're the demon that's been helping us," a manikin by the side gate said. "Thank you; we couldn't have come back without your help."

It was getting a little embarrassing; Naoki tried to hide that and simply nodded. "Sure. Is Futomimi around? I was going to ask some others, but they were busy."

"He's down in our holy land of Mifunashiro," he said, pointing towards the center of the crater. Sight of it was blocked by a wall, but Naoki knew what he meant. "Word went out a little while ago that he had a big announcement to make soon. I'd love to go see, but I was assigned to keep watch here."

"Can we go down there?" he asked.

The manikin patted his head. "Oh, well, I don't know. You can go that way, but I don't know if you could get in the holy land. Futomimi might meet you at the gate if he sees that you're coming."

"All right, I wanted to check in with him," Naoki said.

"The gatehouse down is just ahead," the manikin guard said. "And, yeah, there's something else there. Some kids took refuge in the arcade in that gatehouse; they'd like to talk with you too if you have some time."

He was killing time anyhow, so he figured he might as well see the manikin kids. But that idea flew out of his mind as he entered the gatehouse and felt one of the magatama nearby. Geis. Maybe a shopkeeper was nearby and they'd found another. Would he have the money for it this time? There was also whatever the fusion needed him to buy. Could he barter this time? He'd used up all of the incenses that he'd gotten in the Second Kalpa, but there might be something.

Taking a closer look... no. The kids had the magatama. Well, he'd been able to restrain himself other times. He should be able to do the same here, especially since he was dealing with kids. Naoki took a deep breath, then knocked on the door to the arcade before entering.

There were two boys and a girl in here. Although with how the manikins were, the only visible distinction was that the girl had very short pigtails sticking up at the sides of her head. "Are you taking everybody away again?" one of the boys said, fearful at their appearance.

"Um, no, I think this is the Demifiend everybody was talking about," the other boy said.

"That's right, I'm the Demifiend," Naoki said. "I'm not here to take anybody away, or hurt any of you."

"And you got everybody back home?" the girl asked. "Thank you! It's great that it's not just us here anymore."

The boy who'd been afraid rubbed his head, still nervous. "Oh, sorry. But yes, thank you. Um, hey, you should give him that thing the shopkeeper told us about."

"What, no," the other boy said. He was the one who had Geis. "I found it and it's my treasure."

While Naoki bit his lip to keep his compulsion in check, the girl manikin wapped the boy clumsily with her arm. "Come on, don't be a doo-doo head. The shopkeeper said those bugs belonged to Demifiend and we're helping him too. So you should give it to him."

The boy with the magatama still seemed reluctant to give up what he thought was his. Naoki crouched down, meeting him eye to eye instead of threatening him. Considering what the kid might want to hear, he said, "I'm going to meet with your leader Futomimi soon, to talk about how we can help each other. I'd like to see you manikins triumph when no one else in the Vortex World expects you to. But those bugs have my powers. I could really use that one soon."

That affected him, forcing the kid to weigh keeping his treasure against possibly seeing the manikins as a whole do better. "Well, if you put it that way, okay." He took Geis out of his pocket and offered it. "But you better make good use of it cause I found it."

"Thanks, I will," Naoki said, taking it to swallow.

A few minutes after they'd left the arcade, Naoki felt guilty about telling the kid that when he didn't know if he would take the manikins' side. Or if they even had a side to support in this competition over Creation. But if they did, they might have a good one. It had to be better than what he'd seen so far.

* * *

There were fires all over the construction site now. As Chiaki passed over the knocked down blockades and bridges, more and more kept starting. If she'd been fully human, this would be a dangerous place to be. She was able to cast a spell to filter out the foul-smelling smoke and chemicals to continue on her way. Thankfully, the smoke was rising instead of settling within the failing maze.

She'd not run into any fairies yet. It was disappointing as she wanted to fight some more. Would the Yahirono Himorogi have a guard to fight? That be nice; it'd satisfy this itch. It should be just ahead. As it was an important artifact to the rites, it had a significant presence. The fires seemed newer as she approached it. The things they burned were easier to identify: traffic cones, a sawhorse, a construction helmet, even a bundle of newspapers.

In a more open rectangular space, she finally saw one of the manikins standing amid the flames. He was a disturbing creature, wearing a coat woven from empty faces. He was more powerful than he should be as a manikin; they were accidental incomplete creatures that wouldn't exist once the Vortex World's purpose was fulfilled. From his fiery presence, it was clear that he was the one responsible for all the fires. And he held a small pyramidal object in his hand, the key to the road to Kagutsuchi.

"You shouldn't be handling that artifact," Chiaki said as she approached him.

"And what makes you the judge of that?" the manikin asked.

"I'll show you what," she said, readying herself for attack. All she had to do was knock it out of his grasp and take off with it. But then, what was the point of starting this battle if she wasn't going to finish it?

* * *

Entering the cave that led to Mifunashiro, Naoki felt like he was heading into a mythical place, like the entrance to the underworld. It didn't seem like a place that had been in the Tokyo he knew, but then maybe he'd not found it himself. There were Shinto gates along the passage down that seemed to distance it further and further from a mundane reality. And that was with him coming out of the sand-covered Vortex World; this was a place that felt as if it was full of unseen life.

He wasn't too surprised that a terminal was along the way, close to a large sealed door. The door's seal was set up in a way that it couldn't be opened up from this side. In that area, a few manikins were waiting. "Futomimi is meditating in the depths past here," one of them explained. "He was going to update us on things sometime soon, but we're not sure exactly when."

"If he has another vision, it could delay him," another said.

"I understand," Naoki said. "I'd like to speak with him, but once the full Kagutsuchi arrives, I have other places to be." That is, if he could figure out where Aradia took Yuko.

"We'll let him know," the manikin said. "There was another man who was here talking to him a little while ago. Hijiri's in the terminal room here, though we're not sure what he's doing. The terminals are weird things."

"Good, I was looking for him too," he said. And now that it was pointed out, he did sense someone in the terminal room amid all its information. He went to speak with Hijiri first.

At first, Hijiri didn't even look away from the terminal. "Oh, hello Naoki. Did you need to use this? I'm on the trail of something..."

"Not immediately," he said. "I haven't really gotten a chance to speak to you since our first meeting, and I did agree to tell you what I saw around the Vortex World. I've got some time to spare now, although if you're busy..."

"Ah, no, it's fine," Hijiri said, fiddling with his hat. There was a taste to his magatsuhi that reminded Naoki of his compulsion with the magatama. It was odd, but it got Hijiri to leave his terminal research to take out a notebook and pencil. "In researching things, I've realized that you're actually pretty important in the scheme of things in this world. You're unable to conceive a Reason yourself, but your growing power will be a major factor in which Reason makes it to Kagutsuchi. The prophetic Scriptures of Miroku go so far as to suggest that any Reason you deny is as good as stillborn."

"I've seen three of the four Reasons and don't like any of them," Naoki said. "I just need to track down Yuko again to see what that last is."

Hijiri shook his head. "No, she's not the last bearer. Futomimi is."

"Futomimi?" Then that was another good reason to try catching the manikin prophet soon.

"Yes, and from what I've seen, it's a fair one. Make sure you speak with him before you leave Asakusa." He stopped flipping through the notebook on finding a blank page. "I saw that you were involved with the fall of the Mantra; that'd be good to know about."

"Sure thing," Naoki said. That had been in the middle of things, but seemed like a decent place to start.

* * *

The girl actually dodged the Shock spell entirely, nimbly dancing around the various violet sparks. While her jean skirt didn't seem like good fighting clothes, she managed to kick extremely hard into Sakahagi's mud body. He tried jabbing her in the chest with his knife; she backed away just in time and attacked again.

Normally, Sakahagi loved being in battle. But he realized now, he loved being in a battle where he utterly overpowered his opponent. He'd been looking forward to a good match with a human. When she'd spoken up, he felt like he was fulfilling some long-buried desire. He wanted to kill a human, strike with so much frustration and repressed shame. In this match where his victim could fight back? Sakahagi did not like this situation at all.

His general tactic had been to use a powerful spell, then stun the victim to kill them slowly with his flaying knife. Now he wasn't sure what to do. Keeping close wasn't working since all of her attacks so far had been kicks. Sakahagi gave it one last shot, immolating his fist with the power of the bug he'd picked up to burn her severely. While she tried to dodge away, he still caught her in the left arm. The smell of her burning flesh was satisfying, as was her shriek of pain.

And then she summoned out a large purple and silver vacuum cleaner; the canister was shaped like a human skull. It briefly caught Sakahagi off guard. "What the hell?"

It had the most grating whine when she turned it on, cutting through his skull like one of his own knives. The girl turned it on him and sucked the life and magatsuhi right out of him. When he tried to break free, the pull was far too strong. No, he wasn't going to let himself die in such a humiliating fashion! Sakahagi grabbed his strongest knife and used the vacuum's pull to launch himself at her and cut right into her shoulder.

That took her burning arm completely off. She screamed again and punched him with her remaining fist, equally desperate to not lose. While she had a decent punch, a shard flew off the ring she wore right into his eye. Sakahagi lashed out with his knife, hoping to take her head off like he'd done to her arm.

Whether he did or not, everything stopped for him in an instant.

* * *

Exploring Asakusa and talking with Hijiri had taken up a lot of time. Not enough for Futomimi to come out with the announcement the other manikins were looking forward to, but enough that Naoki was able to transport back to the main town to access the cathedral there. It seemed silly now, but he tried to keep a line of thought open back to his human half during this full Kagutsuchi. At least it was easy to keep the demon and human thoughts apart for now.

"Welcome back, Demifiend," the minister said, his compendium under his arm this time. "The heavens shine brightly; have you made a decision?"

He nodded. "Yes, we're going through with this fusion. But who am I supposed to sacrifice?"

"There's only one demon that qualifies for this particular fusion," Mido said, opening the large book to an already marked page. "Uzume."

"Really, her?" It made Naoki uneasy for a moment, even in these conditions. Uzume was the one who'd helped him with three of the fiends and the First Kalpa. Technically, she was still with him in the form of Yagatarasu, and would keep being with him no matter what this turned her into. But to sacrifice her? But who would come?

"It'll make sense," Mido said. "You won't need to reconfirm your contract with her, but there is a fee associated with resummoning her."

"Sure, let's do this," he said, checking the fee to pay it. When she got called back, Naoki said, "Sorry about this, but you're going to be part of a sacrificial fusion now."

"It's fine, Demi, don't worry about it," Uzume said, smiling in the same way she did before. "We'll be great together."

"Just think of it as fusion with three demons," Yagatarasu said.

"It's about time we get this done," Mikazuchi said.

"Yeah, go ahead," Naoki said

When he held out his hands for Mido, he finally saw who they had been working towards: Deity Amaterasu. She was powerful, enough that he could barely summon her as a follower. And Mana Refill was good for her since she had a number of powerful spells at her disposal. She could be stronger than him for a time.

The cathedral was normally lit from within. But perhaps in preparation for this fusion, Mido had opened up some hidden windows up high to cast the bright blue light of Kagutsuchi over the pillars. It certainly made the area look peaceful. That is, until Mido changed his hand motions and large black spikes impaled Uzume on the third pillar. Naoki winced at how painful that looked. Although, he didn't sense any pain. Maybe she expected it and prepared herself, even in this brief time.

The air darkened with red magatsuhi, charged with energy that tickled at his skin. Yagatarasu and Mikazuchi both faded into black magatsuhi. In his mind, Naoki saw flickers of mythology that he was familiar with. The Japanese gods of the heavens challenged the gods of the earth and won. But as they were from the same heritage, they did not wipe them out nor oppress them.

In contrast, the god of law from the deserts would make sure no one could rise to oppose him.

He wasn't from the same mythology as the Japanese gods. However, he was still a part of humanity's beliefs as much as the rest. Putting that aside for now, Naoki watched as a bright light pierced through the dark haze. Amaterasu didn't have the same radiance that the angels did; her light was empowering sunlight, as opposed to the pure white radiance that felt like it could bleach out everything. She had her black hair in a close braid and wore white and gold clothes.

"Thank you, Demifiend," she said. "I am the Deity Amaterasu, being the light at your side as always."

"More than before," Naoki said, smiling at her. "But, uh, why did you show up in the body of a man?"

Amaterasu laughed and put her hand to her face. "I just felt like it, or maybe it's an influence of the souls you fused me from. Where now?"

"We're going to stick around for a bit to see if we can talk with Futomimi," he said. Then he looked to the minister. "But first, I was given permission to summon Anubis through fusion recently."

"Lucky for you," Mido said, impressed and already excited at the prospect. "Some beings are like that; they'll refuse to send even a shade to a summoner unless they meet with their approval. It's like how you must defeat your clan kin to get permission to call on them."

"How would I go about fusing for him, then?" Naoki asked.

Mido rubbed his chin, giving it some thought. "Hmm, it may be difficult in this world with the demons that have arrived. You may need to fuse other demons just to make it possible, and only certain clans will allow fusion into the Deity clan in the first place."

"Would it help trying to get demons of Egyptian origins? Several in Amaterasu's fusion lineage are of Japanese origin."

"If you want to call on Anubis through special fusion techniques, then that would undoubtedly help." He put his hand back on the compendium. "Let me give it some thought... asking Baphomet for advice wouldn't be a bad choice either."

At that point, there was a knock on the door before one of the manikins opened it. "Demifiend? I heard you wanted to talk to Futomimi, and he supposed to be coming out in a couple of minutes. You'd better hurry over there if you want to catch him."

"Thanks, I'll head over then." Naoki nodded to Amaterasu and Hanuman, then led them back to the terminal.

* * *

...must keep safe...

Her arm was burning. Chiaki tried to grab it, finding nothing there. Not even blood. It was because of quick healing, or because of that blazing hot knife, moving so fast that it became a steel glint in the air. Still, her arm burned and the pain wasn't stopping.

Keep safe.

"I will be strong," she muttered, trying to declare it but not getting energy into her voice.

She stumbled into a door frame. A glimmer of red light came off the door. Safety, somehow there was safety back here and she needed to keep safe. Keep alive, until she could face the power of Creation. She didn't need to be cautious, she could grow stronger if she didn't. But the voice to keep safe was firm, unrelenting on that point. That was... purpose.

Once the door moved aside, she came into the cool stillness of the Terminal room. What was she doing here? She didn't like using the terminals; it was a point to prove, not giving in to what some idiot believed. No, that didn't matter, this was a safe escape. Where? Something could be done in Asakusa, Shibuya was full of ghosts and demons, Ikebukuro didn't seem to have demons, the Mantra had been in Ikebukuro and they believed in power, so they might be good supporters...

"How did this go?" Chiaki asked herself as her remaining hand moved the middle drum. Pick transport, pick... Ikebukuro.

The Amala drum whirred to life and drew her within.

* * *

In a place of white radiance, beside a pure river and among the waving grasses, Gabriel appeared. "I have a report on the girl."

"How's she doing?" Michael asked, keeping his eye on a scrying glass. He couldn't see what exactly the Demfiend was doing, but there would be obvious signs if he died again.

"She's faced the wicked manikin Sakahagi," she said. "It could be called a draw; she defeated him but lost her arm in the process and forgot to get the key. Since it's meant to be held by humans, I couldn't retrieve it."

That could be a problem, losing that advantage. "Of course, we'll have to remind her of it."

"The mind of Kagutsuchi's servant was enough to get her to seek a refuge after healing her wound," Gabriel went on. "But she went to Ikebukuro, where the soul of Gozu-Tennoh remains strong."

"He can't be called on as a god of Creation," Michael said. An idea came to him, so clear... he made mistakes before of making plans without the proper insight of God. But this should be it. This should be His will. "However, she is relying overly much on her own strength, not truly seeking the strength of God. If she manages to contact Gozu-Tennoh, don't interfere. It will either be a way we can make good use of his power, or a way we can undo her power in the new world if she doesn't allow God to have the influence He should have."

"Very well, we'll see what she does."


	30. A Second Opinion

One could say that manikins didn't make much noise because they weren't much at all. However, this place deserved such reverence and respect that anyone should keep its quiet untouched. There was a crowd to meet with Futomimi with no more noise than usual. It was that way even with a few demons in their midst. Although, the gentle light of one of Naoki's companions embraced this holy place. It was good that they were there.

However, this address was for his people. "I have called you here to announce that I have begun the path to Creation," Futomimi told them, putting a hand on his chest. "I do this for the sake of a world where we can live in peace and prosperity; our Reason is named Jiyuu. As Creation will be a difficult task, I must focus my attention entirely on getting the rituals correct. There are those who don't want us to succeed; I sense an evil force rising in Yoyogi Park even as we speak that will be a great threat to us. But keep brave; hope and pray for the success of our own world where we will not have to be in fear and suffering every day. When I know the name of the god who will support us, I will let you all know. For now, continue your work in restoring Asakusa. The two most dangerous groups to us are in disarray from fighting each other, but you should still be careful."

Yes, of course. Can we really do this? The uncertainty and hopes could be heard in their murmurs even if the individual words were hushed. Futomimi expected that. While they wanted the dream he presented, they had suffered a lot and expected more suffering to come. They were even keeping clear of Naoki despite him having come to their aide several times already. But they could find happiness. They should be able to.

There was one thing that he needed to be sure of. "That is all for now, but I would like to speak with our ally here. Naoki?" He waved him towards the door.

"Sure," he said, waiting for the manikins there to step aside before coming through. His demons stayed behind as they went just past the sealed door for privacy.

"Thanks for keeping your followers in the entrance," Futomimi said, bowing to him. Although he knew this was an ally, he couldn't help but feel nervous over having him here. "I trust you have good authority over them, but I am wary of letting demons, even yourself, too far into this holy place. It means a lot to us manikins."

"I heard it was where you all were born, so I understand," Naoki said, looking off to the side. The horn on his neck briefly glimmered and he licked his lips. That was a sign of curiosity or focus, wasn't it?

"Good." It was a reassurance, although he had to hold back on a feeling this should be dealt with quickly. "We don't have much to offer, but I would like to ask another favor of you. It's about the evil I sense in Yoyogi Park. I don't like to admit this, but some of my visions aren't very clear. For this one, I know that a manikin named Sakahagi is involved, but beyond what you've already heard, there's not much more."

"I've heard his name," he said looking to him now. "I was a little surprised to hear of another named manikin."

Futomimi nodded slightly. "Yes, but do not mistake him for one of us. His is a cruel soul that murders others in painful ways; he even wears their faces as trophies. When we first saw each other, he tried to kill me. If he comes back to Asakusa now, he would kill off many more of us. Would you look into what's going on in Yoyogi Park and stop him?"

"Sure thing," he said without hesitation. "But first, I'd like to hear more about your Reason for Creation. I've heard about the other three and have no desire to see them come about."

The Demifiend was the judge that Kagutsuchi had no control over. But if Naoki would offer help to the manikins, he was more likely to accept Jiyuu. "Of course. I don't want my people to be abused just for being weak anymore. We've been called clay dolls, accidental creations, walking batteries, and insignificant incomplete wretches. But we have not done anything wrong for being reborn as we are. We should get a chance to live and be happy. I want to make a world where people can live in a fair society of equals, without hurting each other."

"That's..." his gray eyes closed, his mind drifting off. As Futomimi wondered what he was seeing, he heard a woman's voice speaking faintly. And something came through…

... _future may hold_ …

"I am perfectly impartial, so if I say that you clay byproducts are not worthy of Creation, there is..."

"No, I won't," Futomimi said softly, his body quivering.

"...there is no way that you can be worthy of Creation."

"No, I won't believe it!" Futomimi shouted, defiant against the pure radiance of this arrogant star. "I have made it here in accordance to your rules, I will claim my rights as a bearer of Reason!"

…

Children clad in striped gray clothes played in the town center, carefree and laughing. The adult manikins were glad to hear them, for the most part. While they focused on building instead of rebuilding, a couple of them worked slower than the rest. "You're holding everyone else up," someone told them. "Come on, this will be someone's home. We'll make it great and we'll make it fast! That is, if you cooperate."

"Sorry, it's just," the manikin rubbed his head, "you don't hold any sadness. You wouldn't understand."

"Is it really going to stand for long?" the other asked. "There's storms and earthquakes, many things that could destroy a home. And fire, fire's very dangerous."

"Well you can learn optimism, can't you?" He pointed to the house. "It'll stand because we made it ourselves! But we've got to keep moving, come on, get motivated!"

"I'm not really motivated for anything; I don't have motivation, or optimism."

And the house did get damaged a few months later. The manikins worked to rebuild it. They worked as hard as they could. But as hard as they tried, they first had to overcome the trials of working together when everyone had missing pieces. Lacking sadness, lacking motivation: everyone tried to find their proper place. Their town remained small. The children remained children and the incomplete souls remained incomplete.

It is a picture of peace, safe and never changing until the forces of angels and demons appeared to drag the world back to Amala so they could reassert their hold over it.

"Manikins do not deserve the rights of Creation."

... _world come about?_

"That's nice, but," he hesitated on saying it was bad.

Futomimi's right hand jittered; he clasped it to hold still. "It's flawed, I see. Because we're incomplete, the world we would create would also be incomplete."

"You saw that too?" Naoki asked.

"Yes." He sighed and gripped his ear. "What should I do? I don't want to tell them we can't do this. Everyone's counting on me."

"Even as it's flawed, it's better than the others simply because you're trying to help others be happy too," he said, looking like he was deep in thought as well.

"It was difficult to name an unselfish Reason," Futomimi said. A thought sent that quiver up his spine. The words nearly came out, but he wasn't sure he should say them. "It's..."

"What's the matter?" Naoki asked gently. It was at odds with his demonic appearance, but it seemed he was a naturally kind soul.

They were underground. There was a chance they wouldn't be overheard. Putting his hand down, Futomimi paced to the opposite wall. "It's a disconcerting thought I've been having lately. I'm not sure why, but sometimes my thoughts slip and seem like they're from someone different from me. And yet, the same too. I want to know what it is to be loved." He turned and took the couple paces to the other wall. "When I start thinking like that, I have this chilling idea that love is absent from something central to the world."

"From what I just saw, it seems Kagutsuchi holds no love for anything," he said, his face grim.

He nodded again. "It is perfectly impartial, or at least it thinks it is. That's what gives me a chance at Creation, I believe. But is it something deeper in the scheme of things that has an absence of love? The admiration I get from other manikins as their leader feels like a cool drink in a dry desert, even though I can't explain why. And I do love them; I want the power of Creation for them. But if we're doomed to fail like that..." he covered his face. "I can't tell them that. I will fight for them, but how do I make sure our peace lasts? And, that love would be a strong presence to keep everyone happy."

"Can you use the power of Creation to make sure they are reborn with complete souls?" Naoki asked. "They might not be manikins anymore like that, but then they might not remember all their suffering here in the Vortex World. You just need to insist on that with Kagutsuchi somehow."

"That might work," Futomimi said. He'd always seen his vision of the manikins' ideal world with the manikins as themselves. It wasn't hard for him to adjust it to being with humans. "It would, but then the obstacle is Kagutsuchi itself. I had to get support from another ally just to get Jiyuu named and official. To correct our fatal flaws, I really will need to support of all those who follow me."

"I would support you as well," Naoki said.

"Truly?" he asked, looking him in the eyes.

He nodded. "Yes. If your Reason changes to something that allows humans, that means my family will be able to return. We've always been close, so I'm sure they'll come back still a family. I don't know how I'd fit in with them anymore, but if they can live in peace and safety too, I'll support you through anything."

"Yes, that would be ideal," Futomimi said, his uncertainties slipping away. He'd acted confidant around other manikins to keep them strong; now he felt it. If Naoki would support him too, then…

... _what could be_ …

Something subtle had changed across the world. No one was quire sure what, but a noticeable percentage of people reported having lucid dreams of a world with demons and a blue sun. Later, scholars would notice that people worldwide had shifted the way they thought to be more mindful of others. It was a positive shift that, although it had no obvious trigger, would be an immense boon a year later when demons invaded.

Humans first tried peaceful negotiations with the demons, which clearly confused the latter to the point that they backed off their hostility until they figured the world out better. When the demons tried to splinter humanity, humanity stood strong instead, working together to limit the damage done. It helped that a number of demons were firmly on humanity's side, led by one of the strongest demons to arrive. He was based in Tokyo, but readily responded to calls from around the world with the recently unveiled terminal network. He led the global defense against other demons.

The group of new recruits to the force hadn't expected to see Demifiend so soon. Or that he would look like a teenaged boy with strange glowing markings and slightly disturbing habits. But there he was, sitting at the sides during one of their training exercises and watching them without quite looking at them. The rumor went that making direct eye contact with him was terrifying, so he was mindful not to do that with most people.

(And one of those recruits was oddly sketchy in the vision, like there wasn't a solid grasp on what she looked like.)

Demifiend gestured to one of them (the sketchy one) once they were dismissed. She went over, trying not to be nervous in front of someone so important. "Yes sir? What is it?"

"You can relax near me as long as you're not on duty," he said. "I know your family from some time ago. I thought you might come; I'm glad you joined."

"Oh?" she asked. "I wasn't aware that my family knew you."

"It's complicated. How are they doing?"

"We're doing fine. My younger sister and brother are both in high school now, and my aunt and uncle are finally going to have a child of their own. We're all excited for them; it's like a miracle because of their age now."

"That's good," he said. For a moment, he seemed like he was smiling. "The ones who fought for this rebirth of the world are thriving as well, although the task of keeping them safe when the world is connected to Amala may be a task of centuries. But this is what I chose."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"If you do well, I may tell you that," Demifiend said.

Elsewhere in Japan, there was a community that seemed to be thriving on an alliance between humans and demons. Strangers had wandered in from all over the world, drawn there by strange dreams and a feeling of being something other than human. It was whispered that a holy man or some kind of prophet lived there, directing the town and even advising people of higher authority like Demifiend. While it was indeed a peaceful and joyous place, only a few people felt like they belonged there. Anyone else would move back away, trying to spread the ideals of that little town elsewhere.

Against all odds, with more obstacles than anyone else would have faced, the manikins had managed to become true beings and thrive together.

... _allow it?_

"That actually sounds like a good future," Naoki said, somehow impressed at that. "You've done well."

"I've only just begun my work," Futomimi said. It would be a struggle the whole way. But he had his people backing him, and now the best support he could get. "While you check out Yoyogi Park, I can find out where the keys to advancing the stages of Creation are. But first, I need to find a god who will back me. It's already proven difficult."

"Do you know much about gods and mythology?" he asked.

He shook his head. "No, but I can sense much about a god when I make contact with them. There's actually been nearly a dozen that have already tried to help. However, they would be of no help. There was a powerless goddess with only hope, lying deities who tried earning my trust, even nameless and formless gods who barely exist. They were forgotten or even unborn. Yet they're still drifting out in the Amala Universe, hoping for someone to listen to them and grant them access to a new world with new believers."

"I see." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I have run into a few true beings in the Vortex World; most of the demons who would be called gods, like Amaterasu with me, are just shades of those gods. A shade wouldn't help. However, a few of the true beings wouldn't help you either. Definitely not Gozu-Tennoh, Baphomet's here, but I don't think he qualifies. But I've run into Anubis; he might be able to help."

"Who is Anubis?" he asked. He could see something in his mind, a silhouette that wasn't entirely human.

"An Egyptian god of the underworld," Naoki said. "He judges all equally. Although, he is a god of death, so perhaps not. But getting in contact with him might lead to contact with another god who would back you. Or, I know Amaterasu with me is a shade, but if you could call on the true Amaterasu, she'd be great for you. She's the goddess of the sun with influence over light, nature, and life itself. She'd want you to agree to bringing in the other Japanese gods, but then Anubis too would probably want his pantheon involved if you were to ask him."

"That makes sense," Futomimi said. Something about the name Amaterasu was familiar, like she was a goddess he should know. By the light of her shade alone, she seemed promising. "Thank you, it's good to have some names to start with. Is there anything I can look into to help you? Just speaking with you has made my path much clearer."

He nodded. "I found Yuko, the person I was searching for last time we met. But she called upon a goddess named Aradia who took off with her again."

Clasping his ear on impulse, he felt worried. "That can't be good. I met Aradia while I was still imprisoned. She's the goddess I spoke of, one who has hope and can give hope, but one who cannot ever fulfill hope. When I saw her, she was little more than a cluster of glowing butterflies. Considering what gods should be, that is what she is among them, nothing more than a pretty butterfly. She can't have the power to fuel Creation." Something flickered through his mind. "Perhaps she could restore the world to what it once was..."

"But then it'd be even more vulnerable to the invasions of demons and angels," Naoki said, narrowing his eyes at some thought. "That must be what he did."

"That sounds right," Futomimi said.

"Then I really need to speak with her again, hopefully without Aradia's influence," he said. "Can you locate her?"

Locating people by name was simple. Futomimi closed his eyes and searched. Symbols like those on the Amala drums shifted through his mind until he found the human. "She's in Yoyogi Park as well."

"She is?" he asked in concern.

"A great conflict has taken place there, but Yuko appears to have kept out of it so far," he said. "If you go back to the shop area of our town, there's an underground tunnel that leads to Yoyogi Park. That should be a quicker route than navigating the cliffs and gaps of the sands."

"I have even quicker means than that," Naoki said. "I'll head over and see what's going on."

"Good luck; I hope to see you back." They shook hands and then parted ways. Naoki even made sure that the door resealed behind him.

Good, then no one should be able to get to him unless he undid the seal from within. Futomimi headed back to the deepest chamber of this cave. The cascading waterfalls filled the space with a serene sound, making it easy to tune out everything but his prophetic powers. This time, it filled his being entirely. Doubts and worries had plagued him, but their sharp voices had no volume now. He could sort out the voices of the false gods and find the true god that would accept the manikins' cause.

"Do you realize the force that you will be fighting against for your Reason?" an old woman asked him.

Futomimi stopped in his tracks. He'd not sensed her, nor the boy with her. When he turned, he saw the pair there, holding hands in front of one of the tall waterfalls. No, that wasn't quite right. He was looking at one being here, one of immense power and darkness. Perhaps this being would help them, but it would come at a steep price.

"I know Kagutsuchi will not like it," Futomimi said, not sure what to say. He didn't want to say a lot to this being.

"Yes," the old woman said. The boy watched him with an unsettling gaze, like he was a small push away from jealous hatred. "More importantly, the being behind that face will be disgusted with your world and try to remake it into something that pleases Him. Unless you have an unbreakable will to stand against one who toys with universes, you will need as much help as you can muster to fulfill your dreams."

"I do have help with this," he said. "How did you get in here?"

"Those who follow the rules will find it difficult to reach this place, and you in it," she answered. "Those of us who can disregard such rules can find other ways."

In that case, he was safe from other Reason bearers. This being, whoever it was, was a danger. "I see. What is your purpose here? I would rather be alone for my meditations."

"We've noticed that you've discovered a truth that few humans find," the woman said. "The problems within the Amala universe, and all those connected to it, come from a corrupted core god. You are not someone we'd normally contact, but as you know where your adversity lies, we are willing to assist you in fighting against that God."

"I'm not seeking that kind of conflict," Futomimi said. But if it did come down to it, they certainly had the power for it.

"It will come to you nevertheless," she said. Meanwhile, the boy materialized a thin coin in his free hand and tossed it over to him. "If you wish for our assistance, simply snap that coin and we will be there. We'll give you some time to think it over before asking again."

Then they were gone like they'd never been there at all. No footprints were in the sand, no disturbance in the air. Only the coin was left, made of a sliver of wood that would be easy to break. The cavern was back to its holy silence.

Was that the power behind Naoki's transformation from a human? It would make sense since he had agreed to help Jiyuu succeed. But while Futomimi was glad for Naoki as an ally, he was uneasy about accepting the offer of that being. It was a darkness that eclipsed the power of Mifunashiro; it was a devil that would transform a boy against his will and throw him out into a conflict over the fate of the world. That wasn't a being Futomimi wanted to have strong influence in the coming world.

Still, he picked up the coin. It might be useful. At the very least, it would keep that hatred from triggering. That would surely doom the manikins and all their efforts.

But Futomimi wanted to see how much he and his people could accomplish on their own, beyond the expectations of everyone else.

* * *

Jiyuu is still an option with a great risk of me losing Naoki to it. But since that manikin is considering defiance to YHVH, I'll at least give him the option of an alliance. They don't stand a chance even if I back them personally. Yet, if the prophet allies with me and Naoki agrees to my plans, the manikins would be an extra string to direct my Demifiend. As long as I get results, the methods don't fully matter.

Naoki could be challenging Harlot soon, which will certainly be entertaining. But that could take some time still. In the meanwhile, there is this book… it should be a trick of some sort. Black Rider says that it came from Naoki, who apparently got it from a version of myself in the future. It seems that the Divine Trumpeter is the one who enables that for him and she is named Elzbieta. The mere fact that she has a personal name is peculiar. She's either extremely ancient or crazy.

However, the trumpeter means little. This book, on the other hand, it must be a masterful fake. The handwriting seems like my own. Not only that, but it's written in Hebrew of such an age that only myself and a handful of others would use it for personal writing. The plans are familiar too, what I'm doing with Naoki. However, it claims that there is a fatal flaw in it all and if I do everything as planned, it will surely fail.

Preposterous! I've been working at this for centuries, relatively speaking. There have been many experiments, many failures, many case studies, proofs that individual parts are working as they should… yes, I've not gotten a single Demifiend through to full mastery, but once I do, it should all work as I desire. This book claims to follow through a successful creation of the Demifiend, but that he proved no more effective than any other powerful demon or human against YHVH's forces. Obviously some mistake must have been made, but it can't be within my work itself.

This ancient form of Hebrew is something that the Riders are capable of using; it is a part of their heritage as much as mine. While Black, White, and Red have all accepted Naoki, I know Pale has his reservations still. Mother Harlot might be familiar with it, but she'd be more inclined to use a Babylonian language and she seemed eager to test him. My Trumpeter might also have done something like this. He too hasn't been enthusiastic about this. But why would they conspire to put this together now?

There must be some mistake in thinking there is a flaw. It should be obvious to me once I read it more. There's no way it could be right. When I find out how they used Naoki to pass it to me, they will suffer for that deception and this flagrant counterfeit.

* * *

Yoyogi Park was burning. Huge billows of acrid smoke braided upwards towards Kagutsuchi; a bright metallic glow lay underneath that. Had Yuko gotten out of that in time? That didn't seem like something a human could live through.

As Naoki approached the blazing construction zone, he sensed the presence of a magatama within a nearby shrine. It tugged hard at his thoughts, but no. He had to find out if Yuko was safe. And, he should also find out what came of Sakahagi for Futomimi's sake. Various fairies like pixies and jacks, even a couple trolls, were keeping back and watching the fire in tears or bewilderment.

Among them was a familiar person. "Yuko!" Naoki called as he shut off the bike and got off.

"Naoki?" she asked, confused. She turned and smiled at him. With her were a tiny skull with rainbow butterfly wings and a demon who looked like a young man with a spear and a very oversized scarf. "Oh, I'm fine, don't worry about me. And I'm sorry about leaving so suddenly last time. Aradia did that."

"I'm glad you're safe," he said. "What happened?"

"Someone invaded the park after a key artifact," Yuko said, looking back to the inferno. "I've been resting here to recover from being a part of the Nightmare System. I had just started negotiations with Sentata here when Bitterfly, my guardian from Kagutsuchi, suddenly reappeared and told us that we had to leave."

"I could not stay away when my ward was in immediate danger," the bitterfly said softly. It seemed to be watching him carefully.

"I don't know what happened myself," Sentata said, shaking his head. "It was a number of small fires when we initially set out, so I stayed with them to guard the lady. But not that long ago, there was a number of explosions and everything lit up."

"The small fires probably found paint or other flammable chemicals that would have been around," Yuko said. "We got out at a good time, but I'm not sure of the fairies."

"There's not many here," Sentata said regretfully, then pointed out a larger pair discussing things. "Our king and queen escaped, thankfully. They may know more. But our clan had taken up this place as a fortress outside of the conflicts over Creation. It won't be easy to find a new place of safety."

While Naoki hadn't taken advantage of the path, Futomimi had claimed it to be a relatively safe. "There's a tunnel right over there that leads to Asakusa. The manikins are currently rebuilding. If you help them out and don't fight them, they should agree to share the town."

"It should be worth checking out at least," Sentata said.

Yuko held a hand out to Naoki. "But first, may I ask something of you, Naoki? I was speaking with him about the Yahirono Himorogi. It's important to the process of Creation, plus holding it would give one the authority to command gods. While I have Aradia backing me, she's been evasive on too many things. I'd like to have that artifact to coerce her into cooperation. I believe that the Himorogi was part of what led to this blaze as well. You have powers beyond human capability now, so you should be able to retrieve the artifact even with Yoyogi Park like this. Would you get the Yahirono Himorogi for me?"

Something that would allow one to command gods would be valuable. But then, Naoki was getting that authority with his own power. This artifact wouldn't be that useful to him, but it would help someone like Yuko or Futomimi out greatly. "Sure. There's a shrine nearby that I intend to visit after checking out something else, so I can meet you over there."

"Thank you. And even if you have the ability, be careful in there."

"I believe I know the shrine he means," Sentata said. "I wouldn't mind walking you over there; you are one of the potential Reason bearers still."

"That would help," Yuko said. The two of them then headed off to the shrine.

With a snap of his fingers, Naoki called his followers to him. Both of them were shocked at the sight. "What happened here?" Hanuman asked, staring at the blaze.

"I'm not quite sure, but we're going in there," Naoki said. "You up to it?"

"Even that amount of fire is nothing to me," Amaterasu said, looking down at Hanuman. "Though I'd worry about our monkey friend here."

"Hey, I can handle that kind of thing, no sweat," he insisted. Then he scratched his head. "Well, okay, maybe a lot of sweat, but I can take the heat."

"Sure thing, but let's figure out what exactly we're getting into here," he said. The only magatama he had to resist fire with was Shiranui, but there was a confidence that it would be fine for a few minutes.

And there's something familiar to this fire. If you're quick to find Gehenna in that, we'll have no problems whatsoever in that inferno.

That was a fine first goal for plunging into that fire. Naoki headed over to the leaders of this clan. Oberon and Titania; they had complimentary powers as befitting such a couple. They could be a force to be reckoned with. However, he didn't intend on fighting them now. With them was a troll with a hand on an Amala terminal. "Mm, it was purty," the troll said. Some of his red fur was burned black.

"But did you really have to risk yourself to bring it out?" Titania asked. "We're glad you made it out, but you could have been yet another casualty."

"Got it out, is fine," the troll replied.

"He did, so that should be enough of a scolding," Oberon said, then noticed them approaching. He seemed wary at first, but then took a second look and was surprised. "Wait a moment… are you the one everyone's been talking about? The Demifiend?"

"That's right," he said. "There's a couple things I need to go into that fire for. What happened?"

"If you mean to do that, the one who started all the fires is still in there," Oberon said. "It was a manikin, one of the most hideous creatures I've laid eyes on. Normal manikins are no eye candy, that's true, but this one was miles beyond the others."

"He had some kind of insect that was boosting his powers," Titania said. "I heard something like that from another troll earlier, that he'd given you a strange bug with demonic powers before. Is that one also one of yours?"

Naoki nodded. "Should be."

"Well I saw the hideous manikin get into a fight with a human girl at one point," Oberon said. "You couldn't say either of them won and it wasn't long after that that the little fires he started all erupted into this monster. They were fighting over the Yahirono Himorogi."

"Wait, did you let him steal that?" Titania asked strictly. She leaned over and her green dress ruffled from her power. "We were keeping that for a human who would help us!"

"Err, well I was trailing him to get it back," Oberon said, cowering back a few inches. "And I wasn't the one watching over it at the time; he does have an awful lot of knives too, and a habit of pinning fairies by their wings."

"That shouldn't have stopped you from reclaiming our artifact!" she scolded.

"We'll be going in before the fire gets any worse," Naoki said.

"Oo, what's Demifiend do now?" the troll said, smiling with curiosity and admiration.

"Whatever it takes to get my bug and the artifact back," he said.


	31. Conquering Fire

Even with Shiranui's protection, the heat of the fire was thick as they entered the gates to the park. The smell of melting metal and burning chemicals was sickening. That and the brightness made Naoki's eyes water. He closed them and navigated through his demonic senses instead. "You can retreat if this gets too much for you," he said.

"There's no way I'm backing down from a challenge like that," Hanuman said gleefully. It worried Naoki briefly. But really, the demons should be fine if they fell here. He could resurrect them later. It was his own safety that he needed to be mindful of.

We have five minutes we can be in here before we get overcome. There, there's Gehenna! Past the wall, but not far in past that.

"There's a concentration of power past the wall," Amaterasu said.

"That should be exactly where we're going," Naoki said, hurrying to the door. The heat of the door was enough to made a different glow inside his closed eyes. Not bothering to touch it, he knocked the door off its frame with Chaos Blade.

A bunch of metal walls had to be shunted aside in a similar manner for them to reach the manikin who held both of his objectives. As he had Gehenna, Sakahagi was completely untouched by the flames around him. There was a scent of decay and death to him; the cloak he wore was made of faces sliced off dying manikins, something that made Naoki glad he wasn't looking at anything. He had nine knives hidden on various parts of his body, of varying lengths and widths. All of them were keen with sharpness.

Sakahagi was staggering along, injured from another battle. He clung onto a strangely cool object under one arm and a human arm in his other hand. That... that had been Chiaki's arm. "What did you do to Chiaki?" Naoki demanded.

"How the hell should I know what happened to that bitch?" Sakahagi replied, disoriented but not caring that he was suddenly talking with someone. "I do know what'll happen once I find her; I will finish her off."

"You give me no reason to spare you," Naoki said, tempted to use Deadly Fury again.

Not quite, you're almost ready to use that normally, but not yet. Gehenna is weak to ice and thus so is he.

"No one will stop me!" the manikin shouted. Hanuman bounded forward to strike with his sword. In spite of his condition, Sakahagi stepped back just out of the attack. He dropped his trophy arm and clasped the Yahirono Himorogi in both hands. "I will rule over all of you demons, just you watch! With this, I can call..." he screamed in pain and fury as Hanuman pressed forward and cut through his torso.

But as a being of clay, that wasn't nearly enough to kill him. It was enough to disrupt the summoning he was attempting with the Yahirono Himorogi. The unleashed magatsuhi burst out, unsure of the form it was meant to take. Without that direction, it turned to the chaotic force of the fire. The flames warped and gathered into a serpentine creature.

Having already concentrated, Naoki aimed the Glacial Blast at Sakahagi and the developing creature of flames. Sakahagi's body shattered immediately, crumbling to the ground in death. As Naoki hurried ahead to grab Gehenna, a shrieking roar cut through the heat and smoke. The magatsuhi was not as organized as would be in a normal demon.

"Now this seems fun," a woman said, playfully unconcerned about the potential danger. She was another fiend, one who wouldn't easily be overcome by such flames. Mother Harlot had a goblet of wine in one hand, quickly having a second. "Care for a drink? I think I know just the thing to match such a primal force of destruction."

"No thanks," Naoki said, then swallowed Gehenna. A moment later, he felt like the world had suddenly shifted under him. His throat and then his whole body felt like it was burning.

Sorry, we had to cut Gehenna across differently to use it immediately. You should keep your eyes closed as that would be less painful. This beautiful fire is a primal being, so it's going to lash out indiscriminately. Mother Harlot is going to be trouble, though.

But the fire was a being now, so it could be fought to death. How that would affect the whole inferno was something that had to be seen. "Amaterasu, Hanuman, you two can tell where that fire being actually is, right?"

"Sure, it's got a different look," Hanuman said, then laughed. "We're going to wreak it, right?"

"Of course," Naoki replied, bracing himself as a tendril of fire tried to strike him. His body still felt hot, but that meant the fire brushed against him like wind. When he struck back with his fist, the tendril broke apart.

"What, you don't have any interest in playing with the fire?" Mother Harlot asked like she was teasing him.

"It doesn't seem like the sort to play," he said.

While Hanuman was dancing around wildly, cutting up the tendrils trying to wrap around him, Amaterasu didn't have to try to be untouched by the flames. She used a powerful Expel move that did damage rather than try to banish the target with light. From her, Godly Light didn't bother Naoki even as the spell came close to him. It was too bad that the spell also did little to the primal fire beast, nearly passing right through it.

"This is weird, but this thing's not taking magic damage," Naoki said to his followers.

"We've still got this," Amaterasu said, changing over to casting Tarukaja on them so they could deal more damage.

"You don't seem to be doing much physical damage either," Mother Harlot said. Since he wouldn't drink with her, she seemed content to dance around.

It was true. As a being of fire, it had nothing much to strike at. But as she was doing nothing to help, Mother Harlot had no place being critical. Could she be tricked into being helpful?

Almost certainly, but you'll have to get flirty with her to do that. Don't worry, we should be able to pull this off.

That had Naoki worried more than trying to fight this fire. Following Satan's suggestions, he retorted back to her, "Well you're not doing anything but looking pretty here." That seemed to make her happy, so he added, "I don't think you'd be able to do much to it either."

"Oh ho ho, you have no idea what I'm capable then," she said, stopping her dance to whistle. A huge seven-headed beast jumped into the fray from nowhere, landing right at Harlot's side. Six of its head snapped at the fire's tendrils while the seventh curled around so Harlot could hop up on its back. Like with the Rider's horses, the beast would have a linked identity with her. "I'll show you how much more passionately I can burn than this mindless thing."

"Go ahead and show it all off," Naoki said, making Harlot laugh harder as she threw out a potent Almighty attack that would cut through anything. It had a heady scent to it, like sweet wine, that would muddle the mind of beings that could think.

"Demi, are you okay?" Amaterasu asked in concern.

He hadn't been hit by the fire that hard, so it must be about how he was acting. Unfortunately, he couldn't reassure her easily without tipping off Harlot. "I'm seeing nothing but pink," he answered as if he were touched too much by the scent of wine. It was technically true since his eyes were still closed and the fire was intense.

"Huh?" Amaterasu asked quietly, worried even more about him.

"That tends to happen when naïve boys meet me for the first time," Harlot said cheerfully while attacking the fire being again. Her attacks were disrupting its hold on itself. At Naoki's side, Amaterasu got angered although she didn't reply right off.

We can apologize to her later. We do have Megido, but it won't be nearly as impressive as her Babylonian Wine. Let's try Glacial Blast again, though. A weakness can cut through a magical defense like this at times.

Setting up to cast Glacial Blast did cool his body off. Actually, it was mildly painful using it when he had Gehenna in the fore. It felt like something he could get used to. Naoki searched for the highest concentration of magatsuhi for the fire being and sent the spell after that. When it hit, the being's shriek of pain fell apart even as it vaporized the ice. It tried to bring itself back together and went too far, forming a dense orb for a center. The fire gave a rumbling roar, straining to keep the new orb up high, too high for any of them to get close.

There were distance physical skills that should do a number on it. But Naoki had another idea. "Hanuman! I can throw you up there."

"Got it, boss!" As he darted over with building enthusiasm, Naoki focused and tapped into his physical magatama. Crouch down, offer one hand as a foothold and the other for a hand… the padded foot was in hand, Hanuman clasped his other hand while leaving his sword out in the other for balance. Naoki hurled him towards fire being's new core.

Acting like he'd done this dozens of times before, Hanuman curled his body and spun through the air. He was already focused. Once he got to the core's level, he unfurled and sliced through the core with astounding speed. His arms would be a blur if Naoki was looking. The fire being fell apart again. This time, it drew more of the inferno around them into itself trying to keep together.

Hanuman never landed from his move. As he'd started coming down, he used his victorious move to change again into something greater. Wu Kong didn't touch the ground either, discarding weapons entirely to gather a cloud at his feet to levitate with. "Hah, I am invincible now!" he declared.

Well, he had no weaknesses. That was still far from invincible. "Too bad we can't use that launching trick again," Naoki said, though he was happy for him.

"Oh, I'm sure we can come up with some crazier tricks," Wu Kong said. "So is this thing going to die any time soon?"

"Probably when it runs out of fire," he said. "We've got it, although Mother Harlot here is still just being pretty for the battle."

"I'd be flattered, but I can rip this primal beast apart quicker than you," she said, taking it for a challenge. Mother Harlot struck the reforming core with a Ziodyne, causing it to drop back down. Her beast snapped and snarled, tearing through what fell even though it was only flames.

The light against his eyelids was darkening as the fire desperately drew in more flames to stay functioning. Wu Kong was now punching and kicking his way through the scattering being, trying to keep it from reforming. When another core tried to form nearby, Naoki punched it out of doing so as well. The air grew cooler and the fire being eventually fizzled out of existence. The stench of smoke and molten metal still hung on tight.

"It was a shame to destroy that beast," Mother Harlot said. "It would have made for a nice pet, if one voracious about fire. But you see now how elegantly powerful I truly am?"

"Yes, thank you for helping us take care of it," Naoki said. While she was stunned at that, he turned his head towards Amaterasu and put his hand over his eyes. "Is it safe to look around now?"

"You should be fine as long as you don't look directly at some of the heaps of metal," she said.

"You had your eyes closed this whole time?" Harlot asked.

He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. She appeared to have a human body, although it was mostly trickery through her layered attire of translucent silk and sparkling gold. Even her face was covered up by a pink-veiled headdress. "Yes, it was way too bright in here for human eyes."

"It must have been too bright for you if you couldn't tell that," Amaterasu added.

"So then, it was all trickery to get me to do what you wanted?" She laughed at that, using a gloved hand to pull her veil aside. Although she used her own trickery to look attractive, her face was still that of a grinning skull. "To fight blindly and charm even me into doing your bidding, you do seem like someone I might call a peer. But not quite. You see..." she gestured to him, but then stopped suddenly. "Hmm?"

"What are you trying?" Amaterasu asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. She seemed willing to snap him out of trouble if something happened.

"There's something in those pretty gray eyes that I don't see often," Harlot said, curling her hand near her chin. "I wonder. Well, you have me here to do as we please. Would you care for a challenge," she summoned her candelabrum to her hand, "for our little game?"

Using Whisper, he told Amaterasu, 'Don't worry, I was acting a little off to trick her.' Then he replied to Harlot, "Sure, while we've got you here."

"Well I was going to seduce you and see how you'd fare in those conditions," Harlot said. "But it seems you're the polar opposite from our master in that regards. Heh, it's surprising to me that he'd still choose you in spite of that. So let's see how your followers fare." As she spoke, she sent the candelabrum away and caused a pink haze to fill the air.

That's a strong charm spell based on feelings of lust, so it's not about to affect you. But, it could hit the other two hard since she has means to bypass normal resistances.

"What is this?" Amaterasu asked, cringing as she fought it.

'Keep it together, you two,' Naoki whispered to them. Harlot had no weaknesses. In fact, she would reflect all of his physical attacks. Electric attacks would even heal her. But, Glacial Blast should still work just fine.

Near him, Amaterasu was distracted in trying not to get charmed. Wu Kong swerved around to face him. "And why should I take orders from you now? I'm invincible!" Then he winked since Harlot wouldn't see it. Wu Kong wasn't affected yet and was hoping for some trickery.

"Is that what you think?" Naoki dared him outwardly. Then he whispered, 'Go ahead and tussle with me a moment. Your attacks will only help her, so I'd like you to distract her beast once I make the first attack.'

Wu Kong gave a slight nod, then leapt at him with fists at ready. He was a lot more nimble as well as stronger, able to dart around without touching the ground at all. While Naoki covered his Concentrate with defending himself, the martial monkey expertly whiffed every attack made at him. If one of those punches did land, though, it'd be like a sledgehammer. Harlot laughed at this.

"Stop doing this!" Amaterasu said, playing up her struggle more than it was affecting her now. She called back powerful fire to attack Harlot with.

'Go' Naoki whispered, then followed up with Glacial Blast. The beast stumbled back at the force of the blow; Harlot clung onto its neck tighter to keep perched on it.

Then Wu Kong was there, poking three of the beast's seven heads to get its attention. He bounced around keeping just out of its snapping jaws. "A miss and a miss, and a miss… come on, you can do better than that!"

"You won't get anywhere taunting me," Harlot said. Except, she did look down to him and started up another spell just to hit Wu Kong.

As long as she didn't heal herself, they had this in the bag. 'Give me a moment to concentrate again, then we'll hit her together,' Naoki whispered to Amaterasu.

"You got it," she said back quietly. And with the combined forces of fire and ice, they brought Mother Harlot down. The Candelabrum of Beauty appeared on the ground; its flickering black flames were the only sign that it had been disturbed.

"Thanks, both of you," Naoki said, picking the gold candelabrum off the ground. "That's one more."

"Not a problem," Wu Kong said. "How many more have you got?"

As Naoki shrugged, Mother Harlot reappeared. "That would be two more, Pale Rider and Trumpeter. There are other fiends out there, of course, but they're the only two left in the game of candelabrum. Hmm, I suppose you have done well. I didn't expect you to take me down in one go as well."

"I have a sun goddess who's been loyal to me for many identities and an invincible monkey," Naoki said. "How could you expect to win?"

"He's got that right!" Wu Kong said proudly.

"Naturally we'll give our all for him," Amaterasu added.

Harlot chuckled and took a sip from her goblet. "I see, I see. Such devotion from other demons is a treasure, dear Demifiend, don't forget that." She then curtsied to him. "I am the Fiend Mother Harlot, here for whatever you may desire."

As he agreed with her on the point of loyalty, Naoki gave her a slight bow. "I am the Demifiend, I will use your power well. Although, don't expect me to have the same tastes as you."

"Well it's not what your purpose is really for, so I'll accept that." She tapped him on the forehead playfully. "You are missing out on much pleasure, though. I can at least teach you the finer points of wine if you wish."

Naoki nearly said no, but an idea came to him. It was horrible in a way, but it could solve a problem. "Not myself, but there is something you could help me with. How would I go about making an angel drunk without them realizing it?"

As that truly amused her, she burst into laughter again. "Oh-ho, that sounds like you have something truly fiendish in mind. That's easily done if you have a way with words and great skill with mixing drinks. You wouldn't have the latter, but I can handle that. Although, we're best off going to see my old friend Nyx. She'd be the only one in this world to have the right supplies for it. Now, what exactly do you want done?"

They didn't need to be in Yoyogi Park any longer, so Naoki explained his ideas to her as they walked over to meet up with Yuko. Harlot was eager about his plan, offering advice about his target and other ideas to make it work. While he wanted to get back to help Futomimi, this felt much more important to accomplish if he could pull it off now. Harlot seemed to think he could.

When they got to the shrine, Naoki tried to ignore the call of Kailash. The magatama was with another legendary figure he recognized, the Heavenly King Bishamon. The ancient king was outside of the shrine with the others there: Yuko, Sentata, Oberon, Titania, and even the troll who had lugged the terminal over here. "The fire's out already?" Oberon called over. "What did you do to it?"

"Beat it into submission," Naoki replied.

"What else would you expect out of the Demifiend?" Mother Harlot asked.

"Well we've seen some who weren't all that impressive," Oberon said. "But you're certainly different."

"I'm glad you came out fine," Yuko said, relieved more than anything. "What about the manikin?"

"He's dead now," Naoki said, calling out the Yahirono Himorogi. "Got this from him too. But, he used up a lot of the energy it had messing around with the fire."

She accepted it from him. "I see. Still, it should be enough. I'll be able to get the name for my Reason from Aradia now and why she wouldn't tell me it before."

"Is that how it works?" Naoki asked. Isamu, Chiaki, and Futomimi had all known the names of their Reasons without knowing what god to call on. Hikawa might have even known his Reason's name before Conception happened. Did she really need this artifact to find that out? If Aradia was supposed to tell her that, he could probably be more effective at coercing the goddess with Kailash.

However, she didn't seem to hear his question. He noticed that darkness again; Aradia only offered hope with no way to fulfill it. It seemed like one would have to be blind to accept that goddess. But, maybe Yuko was? It didn't seem right. This was his teacher, one who had changed the very way he thought and made school a lot easier on him. She should be able to recognize when a situation was bad.

Aradia took her over more rapidly than before, backing away from them with a swiftness that was unsettling. The bitterfly guardian with her wasn't acting to stop this. "The odds are powerfully against us," Aradia said. "The odds are powerfully against you, Fool of Chaos. Do you see now? Whatever choice you make, you will have to sacrifice a portion of your heart, if not all of it."

"That's not true," Mother Harlot said. And with some assurance from Satan, Naoki could tell that she was speaking what she believed was truth.

But so was Aradia. "I know you've seen your future in a multitude of ways. You will lose all that you love; you will be ridiculed, abandoned, hated, and cursed. But for the true players of this game, you are nothing but a pawn trying to surpass a queen's power, something to be tossed aside should you fail or come close to victory. Are you afraid of this dire fate that hangs over you by no fault of your own?"

Naoki didn't want to be abandoned. Or hated, to tell the truth. But then, he was already running that risk just being what he was now. His fate couldn't get much worse if he raised the stakes by pursuing something he wanted for himself.

"No," he told Aradia. "I did not choose to become the Demifiend, but since I was chosen, I'm not afraid to accept this fate now."

"I see. Your hope and power would be enough to bring any Reason to Kagutsuchi. Don't lose it." Then she dropped her possession over Yuko. She looked disappointed; her magatsuhi was cold and bitter. "Oh… that didn't work."

"Yuko?" Sentata asked, going to her side and reaching out to her.

"Yuko, you should be able to find the name for your Reason on your own," Naoki said, trying to encourage her.

But it was like she hadn't heard them. "But I can't lose hope. There must be something..." the Yahirono Himorogi shifted its top point. Amala characters flickered across its side. "Something should be done. I need to find..." she started walking off, still watching the artifact in her hands.

"Wait!" Sentata said, starting after her a couple steps.

"Something's keeping her from hearing us, maybe Aradia," Naoki said. "I always thought she was a wise and strong woman, but ever since the Conception, she's..." he licked his lips, trying to figure out how to word this. "There's a darkness to her I never thought she had; I'm not sure what's going on with her anymore."

"We can't just leave her be, even with that servant of Kagutsuchi," Sentata said. He then turned to Oberon and Titania. "Forgive me, I know we should search out the others, but I'm concerned for that woman. I'd like to follow her for her protection, and see if I can't get through to her."

"She seems to bear an unnamed Reason," Titania said. "Go on ahead, the two of us can handle things here."

"Right, she could use your help more than us right now," Oberon added with a nod.

"Thank you," Sentata said, then hurried off to catch up to Yuko. He was a shade of a hero, so Naoki felt better having him looking after her.

"We should be off helping to track down the other fairies," Titania said. "Thank you for your assistance, Bishamon."

"It's no trouble to me," the heavenly king said. "Just send them here and I'll make sure the area is safe."

"Good, we'll discuss what to do later," Titania said, then patted the troll's shoulder. "You just keep an eye on your treasure then, I suppose. It could be useful."

"Yeah, purty thing safe with me," the troll said, glad to be left with his terminal. The king, queen, and what other fairies were there left to search out others who had escaped the fire.

Bishamon then looked at him. "You beat a fire into submission with your bare fists?"

"And some magic, yes," Naoki said. "You have one of my magatama." And it didn't matter who he was, he'd get beaten into submission too if he refused to hand Kailash over. But no, this didn't require a fight yet.

"Indeed," Bishamon said, taking it out of his armor. "I intended on dueling you for it, but if you can conquer a massive fire through battle, I see no need for that. You even have this fiend following you, so you must have considerable skill as well."

"Oh yes, I wouldn't take orders from just anyone," Harlot said, acting happy for it.

Bishamon then offered Kailash to him. "I will allow you to take it then, although I do hope we can duel sometime soon. Not now, I have given my word to the fairies."

"I hope so too, thank you," Naoki said, taking Kailash and swallowing it. He was fairly certain it wasn't going to disrupt him much.

"How many do you have left to find?" Bishamon asked.

"Three more," Amaterasu said, to which Naoki nodded.

"When you do find them all, there is someone who would like to meet with you," Bishamon said. "Go speak with the minister of the Cathedral of Shadows once you have them; he'll let you know where to go and what to do."

"I know, I hope that happens soon," Naoki said, glad there wasn't much fuss over getting this magatama.

"If you'll excuse me then, I need to check over these grounds to make sure it is safe for the fairies," he said, then left to search around his shrine.

Glad for that, Naoki turned to Mother Harlot. "Since we're done here, I'd like to put this plan of ours into motion soon, before they catch on about it."

She nodded. "Yes, we should strike quickly. Do you need me to speak with the other fiends?"

"No need," Naoki said, silently beckoning with Whisper. "Three of the Riders are with us; they will have overheard."

In response, Black, Red, and White all appeared around them. "We have indeed," White said. "This is a highly ambitious move for you, especially with Pale being unconvinced so far."

"It's very risky too," Amaterasu said, worried. She put her hand on her chest. "Are you certain about this?"

"Yes," Naoki said. This wasn't a time to doubt, either in himself or his plan. He'd deal with the consequences as they came. "I could be safe and just return to Asakusa. But whatever I end up doing, this is too important to me to leave alone. Besides, I'm sure Pale Rider will at least agree to face me in battle if I pull this off."

"If you do pull it off, it should be enough for him, battle or no," Black said.

"And you don't go becoming a legend by taking things safe," Wu Kong said, smiling proudly. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's got this."

"I'd like to help out more directly, but convincing Pale is important," Red said. "You can depend on us if things go south. Shall we inform the other players?"

Naoki nodded and gave them more specific instructions.

* * *

She'd been beaten by a manikin. Never mind that that one was more powerful than he deserved, it was an utter disgrace. Chiaki should have won, she nearly did. But nearly wasn't good enough. Nearly was getting a sub-par test score and not proving oneself the best; it was a shame and it was not right. She had to survive, yes, but she should be conquering this world.

"Woman, why do you bear such anger with a desire for conquest?"

Who was speaking to her? Chiaki looked around, but her vision was hazy. This was a cool dark place. Close to her, a red light pulsed. Was that the light that had led her? She had been following some light, trying to go somewhere when her mind wasn't clear.

"I thought I had the power to personify my Reason," she said. "I thought I'd grown stronger, but it wasn't enough. Are you the one who called me here?"

"Yes. I am Gozu-Tennoh."

There didn't seem to be anyone in this place with her. Some torches held small flames, dying quietly. But it felt like someone was here, someone with true power. "Then you haven't died."

"Not quite. Ever since my defeat at the hands of the followers of stillness, my spirit has been drifting. I do not give in easily, even when there is little I can do. With that shame of that defeat ever in mind, I will find a way to overcome them when they least expect it. I have spoken to others, but none have proven suitable to work with."

"I do not want to give in either," Chiaki said. "But at this rate, my Reason will be lost. I want to build a strong world so people get what they deserve. All the people who should be agreeing with me are being idiots, though. Hikawa did something to help me, but I know he only means to control me. I want to show him that I will not be controlled, no matter what he tries. But I lack the power to do so."

"If I were human, I could make a far greater impact in this Vortex World than I could even if I manifested again," Gozu-Tennoh said. "I could make the new world as I want it. But even without that, I see where I went wrong. I should not have focused on war for the sake of war. I should have built a kingdom of the strong, able to deflect any attack against it. As it is, your Reason resonates with our desires. Woman, take what strength I have left. Together, we shall humiliate those who have shamed us and create a world for the strong."

She didn't want to owe more power to someone else. However, she didn't see many other options. Chiaki could spent time here trying to recover and lose any of the lead she had over the other Reasons. Or, she could take this power and get right back in the thick of things, advancing before the others could.

"Yes, we'll crush those who falsely think themselves strong and right," Chiaki said.

Unlike with Persephone, Gozu-Tennoh had no need for an intermediary. He offered himself straight to her. He changed her body so that all of these wounds meant nothing. Not even the loss of her arm. As she got the strength to stand back up, her shoulder burned and an entirely new arm grew out of it. And grew, gaining a thicker black skin that gave her strength beyond imagination. She knocked aside the remains of Gozu-Tennoh's head and brushed it to dust in doing so.

Chiaki laughed at that, swiping her new limb through the air in admiration. "Yes, this is perfect. No one can stop me now. I will be the victor I was meant to be."

The large doors creaked open, letting Kagutsuchi's light into this dark place. Now that she was alert again, she could see that it was Gozu-Tennoh's former throne room. But it was her's now. She led the Mantra and she would lead them to victory. To make things even better, it was a pair of angels coming in, a crystalline virtue and a clerical principality.

"Here you are, Lady Chiaki," the principality said, bowing once she got close enough. "We of the Divine Clan have come to a decision: we will all back Yosuga and see to it that your world comes about."

_The Divine clan? This may have been a mistake._

_You will not overcome Chiaki, demon. I will see to it that her will is realized._ With that, Persephone clamped down on what fragment of Gozu-Tennoh's mind remained and kept it from speaking up.

Good, she wouldn't owe anyone anything. She would conquer all. "Excellent. I know exactly how to accomplish that now."

With Gozu-Tennoh's power and the authority of the Divine angels, Yosuga's victory was practically guaranteed. There was just one thing that could possibly stop them now: the Demifiend.


	32. A Group of Fiends Walks into a Bar

Loki's laughter cut through the lounge, disrupting a few of the ghosts that had been trying to pick up conversations again. Some decided to leave while others thought something interesting would surely happen. "Has Lucifer approved of this?" Loki asked, a gleam in his eyes.

"I haven't said anything to him," Naoki said. "Since I have this plan ready, I want to carry it out quickly."

"He might be watching," Harlot said, behind the bar with Nyx this time. "In that case, we can take his silence as approval. We fiends usually do. If he gets mad, we'll just fight him again."

"You've got guts, that's for certain," Loki said. "Now if you can prove that you pulled this off, I might be willing to do something for you. Be sure to come back here for that."

"All right," Naoki said. It was good that he was changing this demon's opinion of him, especially after how their first meeting went. He then looked to the two women behind the bar. "Then we can do this?"

"Of course, I already said so," Harlot said.

Nyx nodded. "Angels don't indulge themselves. Your trickery should go over smoothly because of that naivete. But you're crossing into their territory and we don't want you erased from existence by their power. I can fix up something for you that will protect you in case you come into contact with their holy water. It will only last for what was a day, but that should be plenty of time."

"Right, thank you," he said.

Nyx nodded and went to work with Harlot. Then the door opened again, letting in three cloaked skeletons and another in biker gear. "Hey, we heard that we were having a get-together!" Hell Biker called, waving over to them. "We gonna go wreck some place?"

"Once we find a good place to wreck," Naoki said. It was actually fun being like this, even outside the full Kagutsuchi.

"You'll have to raid the Amala Temple eventually," Black Rider said as the other two Riders decided to grab a table (ignoring the current occupants) and drag it closer to where they were gathered. "And Hikawa has holed up within the Diet Building, which is already something of a fortress with the demons that are stationed there. We have some good options in those two places."

"It doesn't matter where as long as there's plenty of faces to smash in," Hell Biker said. His mere presence scared off the ghosts and other demons that were nearby. More of them left; others took to the corners of the room to stay out of the way.

"You got that right," Wu Kong said, and ended up bumping fists with Hell Biker. Meanwhile, Amaterasu had taken a seat near the corner of the bar and was watching quietly.

"Are we going to have to get drinks for everyone?" Harlot asked. "Nyx, do you have any helpers?"

"No, not unless you count one fellow who'd work in exchange for paying off his tab," Nyx said, waving to the fellow in question. "Loki?"

"All right, but you guys better not want anything fancy-pants out of me," he said, getting up off his stool. Wu Kong was quick to steal it from him since it was next to Naoki.

"You give me any fancy-pants stuff instead of beer and I'll give you three black eyes," Hell Biker said.

"She's got my drink coming," Naoki said, feeling something faint get through his horn. Good, time to get this show rolling. 'They're watching now,' he whispered to the ones who had contracts with him.

There was a small nod from Black in acknowledgment, but the rest kept going, calling out whatever they wanted to drink to Loki. While he was trying to fulfill that, the door opened again as Matador decided to join them. He had his red cape hanging off his shoulder this time, apparently not anticipating a fight. "I hope I'm not too late," he said, posing as though he was trying to make a grand entrance.

Unfortunately, it was ruined by a strange gray demon barreling right through him and flying over on what seemed to be jet wings. "DEMIFIEND!" he called, backing off a bit until he found a good place to hover. "I found you!"

"Yes, and you are?" Naoki asked, even though his senses had already told him. This was someone the others had talked about.

"Chemtrail," he said. "I would have offered to help here, but I was on the trail of a rogue Gaean sector that were acting as spies for the Mesians. Probably affiliated with other groups, I could only get circumstantial evidence."

"Hey, don't take anything this guy says for granted," Hell Biker said to him. "He lives in his own little fantasy world, disconnected from reality."

"I do not!" Chemtrail insisted, kicking his feet down. "I see truths that no one else will accept because I am the death of common sense! That's what it takes to know the true reality of our existence."

Naoki took another look at this fiend. He seemed geared for stalling with poison and insanity. Still, "If you're the death of common sense, you should be a lot more powerful."

"Well there's no internet here," Chemtrail said, disappointed in that. "I thrive on fast information and poorly made opinions, so the lack of internet holds me back."

"That makes sense," Naoki said.

"Then you're already ahead of us in trying to understand this fellow," Matador said, having gotten back up and trying not to seem ruffled.

"I've got yours done, Demifiend," Nyx said, coming over and setting an oversized mug in front of him. The foam on the dark drink was silver and faint smoke trailed off the top. "You'll need to finish it off."

All of that? He'd already expected that it wasn't going to be something pleasant from what it needed to do. "I'll give it a shot," he said.

"Aw come on, you can handle jumping right in with the crazy stuff," Hell Biker said, playfully swatting at him. "No backing down."

"Yeah, I know," Naoki said, then took a good drink to start with. It had a taste like black licorice, smoke, and old tea, not in a pleasant way.

"Are we sure our boy can handle that as a first-timer?" Matador asked as a taunt, patting his shoulder. "Just that mug would knock over a lightweight."

"I can handle it," Naoki said. For now, Satan was having him continue acting normal.

"I would've had you start with a drink that'll open the horizons for you and let you see the complex web of conspiracy around us," Chemtrail said. "That's how you do things!"

"We don't want to kill his brain," White Rider said.

"What good is that kind of thinking?" Chemtrail challenged him.

"I'd like to keep my brain," Naoki said. "Although it sounds like I can leave the conspiracy digging up to you."

He folded his wings back. "You got it, I can find out anything!"

"Just expect that less than a percent of what he finds will be truth," Black Rider said.

"At least until the universal truth polarity reverses and then it turns out that more than a hundred percent of what I say is truth," Chemtrail said.

"But that..." Wu Kong said, looking confused. "What?"

Wondering about something, Naoki took another drink, then asked, "So Chemtrail, what's the latest conspiracy you've found?"

"Ah, I have one that I really wanted to tell you about," Chemtrail said. He drifted over to one of the stools and landed on it, then crouched down so he could sit at the bar with them. Doing that might have been easier for him as he had no arms.

"You're in for it now," Hell Biker said, leaning in close.

"And I can mention it here since it's just some ghosts here with us fiends," Chemtrail said. "And Nyx. She ought to be a fiend too, but that's a whole different conspiracy."

Nyx chuckled, still working on the other drink. "No, I am the night, so I am best suited for the Night clan."

"And I'm a car wash," Chemtrail said. "That's part of how I hear so many things. What I've heard lately and have put together all behind a sudsy curtain could change everything. See, somebody had the dumb idea that since we fiends are more willful than other demons, it'd cause a huge fight among us if somebody tried to organize us more neatly, so they're trying to get some kid named the leader of the fiends to bring us all down to nothing with in-fighting."

Naoki sputtered a bit trying not to laugh in his drink when Chemtrail claimed to be a car wash. None of the others seemed to find that funny. He finished off a smaller drink of the stuff to not choke on anything, then said, "Go on."

"And that kid is going to be Alice," Chemtrail said, puffed up with pride at the revelation.

"No," Red Rider said flatly.

"I would hardly think she would be appointed our leader, gifted though she may be," Matador said.

"Who's Alice?" Naoki asked.

"Well sometimes she's one of us, and sometimes she's with the Undead clan," Mother Harlot said, chuckling a little. She at least found Chemtrail amusing as well. But then, she actually was drunk now; how much was she helping Nyx at this point? "She's an adorable engine of mass destruction if you ask me."

"A spoiled rotten brat if you ask me," Hell Biker said. "On the other hand, she is powerful enough that you really don't want to turn down her demands unless you're ready and raring for a challenging fight."

"She is a child who was granted eternal undeath by Belial and Neiberos," Daisoujou said. Naoki hadn't seen when he'd arrived, but the monk was now sitting on the bar near Chemtrail. "She bears a cruel innocence that brings about powerful magic. She never realizes the wake of pain and suffering that follows her childish games."

"And as a child, she will never have a strategic mind to lead battle," Red Rider said. "Nor any leadership qualities that we would recognize. He's just speaking nonsense as usual."

After taking another drink, Naoki held a hand up to Red. "Actually, he does make sense there."

"What?" Hell Biker asked, staring at him with most of the others in bewilderment.

"You believe me?" Chemtrail asked, excited enough to hop back onto his feet on the stool.

"Nyx, did you slip something extra into his drink?" Harlot asked, elbowing her.

"No, that'd make me a bad hostess," Nyx said.

Naoki pointed up to Chemtrail's face. "What I believe is that putting Alice in as leader would ruin the fiends, even if I've never met her."

"You do have to agree with him there," Black Rider admitted.

"Indeed," Daisoujou said with agreement from some of the others.

Having all the others agreeing that he was right about something, Chemtrail cackled and spread his wings. "Ah-ha, I knew you'd all see my way! I will always find the truth, no matter how counter-intuitive it is! You must be a true visionary too, Demifiend. I wasn't asked to do anything in this world, but is there anything I can do to help you out, hmm?"

What could he do with a demon so crackpot that he called himself the death of common sense? Something came to mind that he doubted would really make a difference. But it would be amusing if it did anything. "Actually, there is something that you could do as a favor, that maybe you could best accomplish," Naoki said. "Black Rider told me that Hikawa is holed up in the Diet Building. I have things I want to get accomplished here in the Vortex World, but if he gets moving, Hikawa would try to end this game of Creation quickly."

"Oooo, Hikawa is a key player in tons of conspiracies," Chemtrail said, childishly eager.

He nodded. "I thought so. Because you know so much about that, I'd like you to scout around the Diet Building. Mislead Hikawa and the demons there as much as you can. I don't care how you do it, just as long as it gives us more time to get things done for Lucifer."

"You got it, I can stall like nobody else!" he said, then jetted off to leave the lounge.

"Well that's one way to get rid of him," White Rider said, impressed although he was exaggerating it now. Maybe they did have a sense of humor.

"And quick too," Matador said.

"Well he's gone and you're going way too slow," Hell Biker said, nudging the oversized mug. It was about half full now. "Be a man and get the rest down!"

"You think I can't?" Naoki asked, smiling a bit. It was tough and unpleasant, but he got the other half down in about a minute.

In the next few minutes that he kept chatting with the other fiends about nothing important, the angel kept watching them. Naoki whispered to Black Rider to signal the next part to begin. He was gone briefly, during which Naoki made sure to keep up some banter with Matador and Hell Biker. Shortly after Black slipped back into his chair, Trumpeter flew in with his trumpet on a belt. "Have any of you seen Chemtrail? He showed up out of nowhere ranting about something, then took off before I could say anything."

"He was here for a bit," Harlot said, having joined the rest of them in drinking at the bar.

"I sent him off to annoy Hikawa, it's fine," Naoki said, waving it off. His words felt clumsy, less because of the drink and more because his magatama were making him act drunk.

"He's not supposed to be here," Trumpeter said.

"Like he'll know anything important," Hell Biker said. "Even if he does, it'll come in his usual torrent of shit, so nothing's going to happen."

"You can always go keep an eye on him if you're that worried," White said, getting snickers from the other two Riders.

"Why should I be Chemtrail's keeper?" Trumpeter asked, annoyed at the suggestion.

"Other than Pale, you're the only one of us not in contract with Demifiend," White said.

"He was supposed to come find me at a point I set up, not here," Trumpeter said.

"But you're here and I see you," Naoki said, pointing to him. "I could challenge you now."

Hell Biker laughed at that. "Yeah, I want to see this match go down!"

"Are you sure you should be doing that now?" Amaterasu asked. She was in on things, but it would sound right coming from her.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Naoki said.

"Hmm, I should be able to adapt to here, given a couple minutes," Trumpeter said putting his skeletal hand on his trumpet.

Harlot laughed. "You don't have to hide it, nobody wants to be Chemtrail's keeper."

Ignoring that, Trumpeter pointed back to him. "All right, if you want to challenge me now, leave town and head towards the former Nihilo building. When we're out in the open, I'll be ready for you. And it will be only you against me, got it?"

"I'm sure you won't be ready for me," Naoki taunted him with as he left.

"Let's sneak up on him before he's prepared," Matador said the moment Trumpeter was gone.

"Sure," he said, getting up from his seat.

"Wait a moment," Nyx said, passing a lidded mug over the bar. It was of similar size to the one he'd drank from. "If you're taking him on alone, you may need this. It'll clear your head if you have too much difficulty, just some of it will do."

"Ah, he'll be fine," Hell Biker said.

"May as well, just in case," Naoki said, taking it to store away. This was definitely alcoholic, with some enchantments on it to do all that he needed it to do. "Let's go after him."

Even with Matador's suggestion, Naoki made sure to distract the demons tagging along just enough to give Trumpeter what time he asked for. The lack of the facility activity led the outside of the city to be very still and quiet. If there were other demons about, they either kept away from the group of fiends passing by or trailed after to see what was going on. Trumpeter was hovering upside-down now, out in the sandy flats between the remains of Ginza and Nihilo's dome. He had his trumpet at ready and there wasn't a hole passage to the secluded battlegrounds here.

"Are you ready for your demise?" Trumpeter asked as he approached.

"Are you?" Naoki asked, exciting the crowd behind him.

Trumpeter chuckled. "Confidence is good for one of your role, but it may be the end of you. You've overcome the others impressively, but with my trumpet, I can end your life in a few notes. But, that's not the challenge I have for you."

"Then what is your challenge?" Naoki said, actually curious about this.

"Something that you are not yet capable of, but I have been allowed to grant you brief access to for my trial: aerial combat." He played a few notes, causing a black orb to completely encase Naoki.

Aerial… did he change this from his original plans? It was certainly going to be enough for Naoki's plans. Energy wrapped around his body and he could feel it spreading out into a pair of borrowed wings off his back. Given that he was meant to be fighting angels and gods, it would make sense to train him in this, in the fly or die manner that the fiends used.

You're fine, don't worry. It'd be better if we had Gundari with us, but we can manage with numbers this time. Perhaps enough to beat him once we've accomplished our mission.

"I'll let you know something else from the start," Trumpeter said. "I'm not going to sit still and make this easy on you. You'll have to do some tricky flying just to catch up."

"Making it a real game, huh?" Naoki said. "Sure, let's play."

Trumpeter snickered, then took off towards Ginza. Leaving it to the magatama to work out the physics of things, Naoki left the ground as well. There wasn't much for wind here, but the pace that Trumpeter set quickly caused Naoki to crash into a building and die.

As usual, Pale Rider caught him. "Are you really going through with this?" he muttered.

"Yes," Naoki said quietly. "Are you with me?"

He nodded. "I don't like this, but I am in charge of keeping your soul intact. Don't push your luck any more than necessary."

"Sure," Naoki said, although the whole plan was pushing his luck to its limit. The goal was well worth the risk.

* * *

The situation caught Michael's attention as multiple fiends were meeting up with Demifiend. They were corrupting him even further, as evidenced by how the previously cautious boy was getting drunk with them. While the situation seemed dull and sinful, it could easily lead to a situation where Demifiend died and Michael could snatch up his soul for destruction. For that reason, he kept watch over them.

His vigil was disrupted once, by Raphael appearing at his station. "Michael, we've gained permission for full entry into the Vortex World. We're gathering to help Chiaki overtake a location where she can call upon the designated avatar."

"Good, assist her to all of your abilities," Michael said. "I would join you, but an opportunity has come up with the Demifiend and eliminating him is still our priority."

"Do you need any assistance for that?" Raphael asked.

He shook his head. "No. Using large forces has not worked thus far, so I will try on my own again. As such, take my troops should they be needed with Yosuga."

"We should be fine with those already present in the Vortex World," he said. "Glory be to God."

"Glory be to God," he replied in parting.

A short time later, the opportunity he had been waiting for came. One of the two fiends that had yet to be challenged entered the bar and got challenged as a result. And he meant to test Demifiend with flight, something humans were incapable of naturally. Michael reduced his presence as he went to the proper plane and location to intervene. The defeated fiends were turning out strangely loyal to Demifiend even as he was the youth of the clan. If they spotted Michael, they'd surely fight him again. He was certain that he could take out the fiends if needed, but taking on more than one on his own was foolish.

He waited this time, watching the boy fail again and again. It helped Michael's cause that Trumpeter was taking off straight into Ginza, forcing the novice flier to navigate buildings. After eight deaths in a row (he was growing resilient), Demifiend returned to life in a momentary daze. He still pushed himself to take the challenge again and again. But the fiend of death itself kept too close for Michael to fly in.

But when he failed a thirteenth time, Demifiend retained the borrowed wings past death. He flew right past Pale Rider's reach. Now was the time! Michael darted out of hiding and grabbed Demifiend's dark soul. All he had to do now was crush it out of existence…

The boy tightly clung to him, his eyes afraid. "Get me out of here, please!" he whispered. "I can't take this anymore."

"Certainly," Michael said, then hurried on his way back. It didn't really matter where the deed was done as long as it was done. He had to dodge out of an attack from Pale Rider, but it was a satisfying reaction.

Demifiend was crying now. "What am I doing anymore? Why did this have to happen to me? Can I talk with you now? I don't want this anymore, I, I won't run."

Talk with him, now? Perhaps there was a chance still to turn even him around. Would God accept it if Demifiend was convinced to join Him instead? It would be easy enough to send the boy off on a suicidal mission. If he somehow succeeded and was accepted, then the weapon Lucifer hoped to turn the tides of the eternal war would be turned against him. Either way would be good.

"God will be glad to listen to any willing to turn to His light," Michael said, using his more coaxing tones to calm him. "You'll be safe now. We'll ensure that the forces of Hell won't come after you again."

Michael brought him back to the Elysian riverside to talk, but stopped some distance from where the souls of the boy's family were being held. He had to call up some furniture to make it seem more normal to a human: a garden table with a pair of white chairs, a folding screen to give a sense of privacy. With those in place, he set the boy's soul down in the chair that had arms. Demifiend was losing his wings and his perception of normality would keep him from being able to escape quickly.

Even though this was a place of peace, being here seemed to make him nervous. "Um, thank you. I wasn't sure if you'd help, but I don't think I could've gotten another chance." He rubbed his neck. "Could, could I offer something to prove I'll stick around and talk? Um," he then made a large silver mug with a lid appear, "I could trade drinks with you? This was meant to help me sober up if I wanted, but demons put a lot of pressure on me to appear strong."

He examined the drink inside, finding it to match the stated purpose. Even if it had been made by a demon, it was made safe for a human to drink. Thus, it would be safe for him as an angel to drink. "That would be a good show of trust," Michael said, thinking. The boy seemed to like tea, so he called up a tea cart. "I'll make sure to use plain water to start with, so you don't come to harm."

But it didn't take much holy water to undo a demon. Even if it merely rendered him incapable of resisting, a drop ingested should be enough. Whatever talking he wanted to do could happen while the water was heating, during which Michael could decide if it was worth keeping him around.

He silently gave orders to his angelic troops to keep a tight defense around this area. This was an ideal situation that he did not want to lose.


	33. A Deadly Gamble of Deception

Even with Nirvana protecting him, the light of this heavenly place felt so much sharper and oppressive than before. Naoki had a feeling that he was being watched and judged beyond what Michael was studying his reactions for. What had seemed like a peaceful expanse of nature covered over a fearful obedience that wanted to avoid heavy punishment. How was his family holding up? He could tell they were somewhere past the bamboo screen.

But he had to keep his attention away from there. Satan and Marogareh were combining forces with Iyomante and Muspell to help him play this part. While he had to keep his wits together after the many deaths leading to this, he had to act like he wasn't thinking rationally. "Thank you," he said meekly to Michael's offer of safely made tea, looking down at the table as he did. The white iron underneath the glass top was shaped into interconnected circles that led the eyes to a sun pattern within the center.

"What did you wish to speak of?" Michael said, sitting in the other chair and taking the lid off the mug. "You may confess to anything to me; I will keep quiet to all but God on what you say."

"I don't know why I'm doing any of this anymore," Naoki said, still looking at the table. "I was just trying to find my friends and teacher after the Conception. Since the fiends made it clear that they would leave me dead if I started boring them, I thought I had to fit in with them. But this is turning into a nightmare and they don't really care about me. I started wanting to get away a while ago, but I knew they'd hunt me down immediately if they thought I was betraying them."

Michael had taken a sip of the drink while Naoki was talking; he seemed to like it as he took another drink before setting it down. "It's wrong to give in to the social pressure of a bad crowd; I'm glad I could take you out of it."

While that irritated Naoki, he pretended it hadn't and nodded. "Yeah. I never wanted to be a troublemaker; I had wanted to do good things in the world. But in the Vortex World, it seems just about anything I do will end up being bad or harmful to someone. Is it just because of what I got turned into? I don't want to be a demon, but I can't say that when I'm constantly surrounded by demons. I've gotten away with saying that I won't make any decisions yet, which they find funny for some reason. But I've always been looking for a way out."

"You could have had one while you were here last," Michael said.

Was he trying to guilt-trip him? It was better to play along. "I know, I'm sorry about that. I didn't think it would be bad; I thought I could take anything if it got me back with my family. But that water hurt so much. It was complete agony, made worse when they said I couldn't be strong unless I recovered from that alone. While it seemed to take no time, it was like forever to me and I don't know how I came back from that. I thought about trying to contact you again, but honestly, it makes me afraid."

"That does sound like something they'd do," he said, then took another drink. Naoki sensed that it was starting to affect him. They weren't using physical bodies here, so this might not take as long.

But it would take time. "I did come across the souls of some Mesians by chance," Naoki said. "They seemed like reasonable people. Even though they were in a bad place, they wanted to help me. And, I wanted to help them out because it seemed like they were lost by no fault of their own, like me. I couldn't find anything I could do for them without raising suspicion, though."

"We'll have to keep an eye out for those souls to claim them back from the turmoil of the Vortex World," Michael said. "I don't want to cause trouble for you, but if you can encounter them again, would you tell them that the angels are on their side? That should let them know we're coming for them without alerting those with you too much."

Naoki nodded, although he didn't want to return to their area of the Second Kalpa again. "Sure, I'll keep that in mind. But, it'll be hard to go back. They'll expect me to keep trying that trial again, and keep failing and dying, and..." he shivered to emphasize the point.

"If you need me to, I can do something that will encourage them to call that sadistic nonsense off," he offered. Then the kettle nearby whistled. "For now, I'll make you something to help relax you, all right?"

"Sure, thank you," Naoki said. "Actually, one of the Mesians I spoke to was a priest. He wanted to give me some of their lessons so I had a better idea of what was really going on in the world. But the demons made sure I didn't have time for that. I wanted to hear what he had to say because he was kind to me."

That got Michael's attention as something he thought he could take advantage of. "That would be a good thing for you to hear of. I know their teachings well because we angels help them often. I could instruct you on the true way of the world."

Naoki nodded, which sent Michael off into a sermon. As he was talking more, he took more drinks from the silver mug, smaller ones but he was getting through it. A few minutes later, the seraph passed over his offering for the trust exchange. It smelled like chamomile tea, with a pale golden brown tone in the perfectly white cup. But something seemed sharp about it, like the river.

He's trying to kill us gently now by covering a bit of holy water with an overdose of sleeping enchantment. If that doesn't kill you, you won't be in any state to resist whatever he wants to do. Have Iyomante in the fore; between null sleep and Nyx's protection, the tea won't do a thing to us.

Even with that precaution and having to act, Naoki took just a small sip of the tea at first. The magatama made sure his hands were trembling so it looked like he was still recovering from the apparent nervous breakdown. "This is good," Naoki lied.

Michael accepted the compliment with a nod, then carried on with his teachings. Now it was just a matter of time, of whether he pushed his act too long or Michael succumbed to what he was drinking.

* * *

It was clear when Naoki made his move, as he died but time didn't shift back. Amaterasu had never been able to remember what happened in times he had died, no matter what form she'd been taking. However, it was noticeable the more she advanced, a tiny jitter to reality. Now Naoki was dead, but their contract remained active. He was one of those people where such things would not end to death unless he completely ceased to be. Which could happen here.

Amaterasu didn't like it. She fully agreed with the intention of this plan, but the execution would further drive a wedge into his humanity. While that might not have worried her before, now she realized what breaking that might do. Many gods thought humans were something to take advantage of. But in truth, it often took humans to bring about real peace and advance the world. If Naoki got too far from his humanity, he might become just another demon, like the malicious fiends here who were treating this all like a game.

Of course, it might just be the company she was keeping that was making her uneasy now. These were all demons of Chaos, even Wu Kong who was the closest thing to a normal ally she had right now. Amaterasu had no love for the hardcore fanatics of Law who became holy tyrants. But then, these demons would happily tear everything to pieces and leave the moment someone suggested rebuilding things. She had once thought he was too sensitive about violence. Now that Naoki was becoming callous to it, she was concerned that he'd come to enjoy it without remorse.

"Okay, so what do we kill time with?" Hell Biker asked, unconcerned about what was going on.

Amaterasu closed her eyes while the others exchanged ideas. She couldn't give up hope, no matter how things turned out. Naoki was clever; he'd surely come back from this. And, the reason she knew his human name was because she had once been his first demon partner. That definitely counted for something. He had a friendly fondness of her, different from the rest. If anyone could get through to him and keep him from diving too far into Chaos, she had the best shot of getting him to listen. He had a chance to escape all this with Futomimi's Reason.

Not to mention, there was a hidden ally in this world now that she had this form. The goals Naoki was pursuing would surely bring them into contact with each other. If he cherished his heritage as much as she thought he did, then that meeting would turn things around for him easily.

While she was considering what to tell Naoki when he came back, the atmosphere of the area suddenly shifted. Everyone else grew hushed, or fled to hide if they weren't brave enough. Amaterasu opened her eyes in time to see a child appear among them. One didn't have to see his silver eyes to know that he was angry; his aura was intense with it, making things seem darker and colder near him. More than that, he was taking a huge risk coming out in full sight of Kagutsuchi like this.

"What is going on here?" Lucifer demanded in a stern calm.

Even the older fiends weren't up to dealing with their master like this. Counting on Naoki to revive her if Lucifer decided to lash out, Amaterasu spoke up for them. "We're waiting on Demi to get back from a mission of revenge. He had to die over a dozen times to make his deception look good."

His cold glare had bite to it. "What is he doing?"

Steeling herself against him, Amaterasu went ahead and explained Naoki's plan to him. The ones they meant to fool would not be watching here anymore. And even if Kagutsuchi heard, it was beyond the Star's purpose to intervene in something like this. "As Pale Rider has not appeared, we can assume that Naoki has made contact with Michael without immediately being erased."

"That idiot," Lucifer mumbled, looking aside in thought. Seconds later, he had a momentary smile that looked completely wrong on a child. This plan greatly pleased him, which further unsettled Amaterasu. "If he does this, good for him. He must still complete his training, but that would be very good."

The others visibly relaxed now that he was calmed down. "We would have said something to you, but it all came together quickly," Mother Harlot said. "The timing of everything was something we could not let slip, not when the opportunity was right at hand."

"Yes, the timing does seem ideal," Lucifer said, bringing a journal he'd been carrying up to his chest. "I'll let you get back to your vigil, but first, who created this journal?"

No one was able to answer that one, not even herself. Lucifer seemed displeased when he left, but it was much less than he had arrived with. Was he truly worried about Naoki? Or was it that he didn't want to lose his newest toy?

It would be far better if she could convince Naoki to abandon his ties to Lucifer, without somehow inciting the demon lord.

* * *

Futomimi shuddered in the middle of his meditations. Something was going wrong. When he cradled his ear for reassurance, he got none. Asakusa had been invaded by the forces of Yosuga, angels and former Mantra demons alike. Unlike before, manikins were simply being slaughtered. It was punishment for daring to go after the power of Creation.

At least they were only suffering for a moment, and then it was all over. Besides, this was a transient world. Futomimi was still safe here; the door's seal would hold. When he made contact with a true god, he would have the power to fight back. He would make it to Kagutsuchi, even if he had to give everything he had to make the star listen. And he had Naoki's allegiance, something that gave Jiyuu a great advantage.

He just needed to call on his god. He'd considered Naoki's suggestion of connecting with Anubis, but ultimately discounted the Egyptian gods. Their society had allowed for slavery on a large scale; even their citizens were treated unevenly. And while the Japanese gods seemed good, their society had isolationist tendencies and wasn't entirely fair either. Neither group matched what he wanted out of Jiyuu.

"There must be some god who still believes in love and equality," Futomimi said, letting go of his ear and putting his hands back in his lap. "If they would please answer my prayers..."

The sound of stressed metal came from far overhead.

He nearly reached for the wooden coin he had. But, no. "You don't believe in love either," he said softly. "Naoki, I hope you come back soon."

* * *

Almost there… Naoki took another small sip of his tea. It was lukewarm now, even less pleasant than before. To keep up appearances, he slumped into the back of his chair with his eyelids mostly closed. His horn let him know that Michael had not noticed yet. He was rambling now, having lost his train of thought but trying to keep up the sermon he had going. Opening his eyes back up, Naoki watched as the seraph picked up the silver mug again and downed the last of it. Good, it should be about time.

"But no matter how per…" Michael lost the word partway and had to come up with another, "how far a world gets corrupted by demons, humanity knows on a subconscious level that it is lost and it needs the light of God to return to the peace it has lost. It needs only listen for the words of God, pray for our support, and beg to return to His arms. We will be there for them when they are ready." Michael paused by the seat Naoki was in, looking down at him.

Still acting as if he was struggling to keep awake, Naoki asked, "Then, you hear the words of God often, even here? The priest couldn't in spite of his great faith."

He would have been able to bluff when sober. While he was now unwittingly drunk, it had the effect that Naoki had been hoping for. Michael was caught speechless and uncertain. There was a taste of loneliness to him that, in spite of how Naoki disliked him, was unpleasant to share.

"You're nice to me," Naoki said, letting his eyes droop again. "You saved me. I won't… ever tell..."

His red wings rustled with unease. "I… we haven't actually heard from God in a long time," he admitted in a frail way that was unlike anything he'd shown before. "Well, not directly. Not in words, exactly. Sometimes we feel a confidence and certainty in our plans that should be a sign of reassurance from God. They must be! Except, then they fail and we continue to hear nothing. The silence is, is… maddening, it's worse than outright punishment since it's so hard to tell what's really going on any more. But we remain angels of divine power, seraphim of highest order, so we must be doing the right thing. He watches us from on high, that is a major part of His teachings. He watches us, but we wish so dearly that would could hear from Him again."

Good so far. Naoki straightened himself up, prepared to slowly move into looking fully aware. "You still carry out your god's plans."

"Of course we do!" Michael said, slamming his hands on the table. "We are His agents within the worlds we visit; we will see to it that His will is carried out. But when we're not entirely sure of what His will is anymore, or what the specifics are, it's hard. Sometimes it's like we're lost ourselves. But we can't be! We're His most loyal servants, we will never work against Him!" His eyes were tightly shut trying to close out tears. "We must not fail Him again."

"Again?" Through his horn, he could tell Pale Rider was lurking closer. The fiend would be ready to snatch him back if something went wrong. But right now, he needed to push Michael into the right state of mind.

"We have lost worlds that we really shouldn't have," he said, faltering with the feeling of defeat. "One time, we messed up so badly that He allowed us to be cut down by a human less than a year old! It was so shameful, and then that Messiah went on to temporarily cast down God Himself."

"A child did that?" Naoki asked, bewildered and trying not to seem amused.

"Technically, we allowed some scientists to raise an artificial Messiah to receive a true Messiah's soul from God in a last-ditch effort to bring about His kingdom on that world," Michael explained. "But one of the scientists questioned our motives and we lost control over Aleph with what he did. That false Messiah paid for his arrogance and defiance, you can be sure of that. You're met him since Hijiri is his current incarnation on his eternal punishment."

"That was Hijiri?" he asked, coming alert quicker than he meant to. Not that it mattered much, as Michael was caught up in his self-pity.

He nodded. "God condemned Aleph, his partner, and their descendants to endless lives of suffering. Aleph in particular was given the task of witnessing and documenting the entirety of the conflict between the forces of Law and Chaos, for all of eternity. Since he can only reincarnate as a short-lived human, it is a task his soul can never complete. That is what happens to those who go against His will.

"And that was actually the last time one of us heard from God, when He dealt out that curse. It wasn't even me; I fear I may have lost His attention first, somehow. I don't know why! I've been nothing but devoted to Him! And I'm sure He didn't actually die; He can't die as long as humanity believes in Him. But He hadn't spoken to us for a long time before that, didn't speak to us with that. And now we haven't heard from Him at all even with a threat like you springing up." That made him pause and look down at Naoki. "A threat like you..."

These seraphs were pitiful beings to Naoki now. At least Lucifer kept contact with him and made his presence known. Getting out of his chair and pushing it back, Naoki said, "He should have spoken to you with something like me around. Are you going to get in trouble for this?"

"No, no!" he said, fumbling like a child who realized they had been caught doing something really bad. "He'll understand, He knows that I do what must be done in order to carry out His will! I know His will, I do! This won't happen again. We're the side of justice, light, and, and being right! We honor the one true God and will not fail Him!" Then he sunk down into his chair and covered his face, trying to hide that he was crying. "We haven't failed Him, right?"

Although he still had to keep Iyomante active so the sleep enchantments didn't do him in, Naoki tapped into Satan's power to speak gently. He put a hand on Micheal's shoulder. "Not yet, I'm sure. You had good intentions here. But, it would look suspicious."

"We'll make every world peaceful, every one of them," Michael muttered.

Naoki leaned in closer. "That would be wonderful, but you've got to keep your image of being good. You showed me mercy in speaking with me, so I would like to show some mercy to you."

"Huh?" Michael looked up to him, not understanding why he would do this.

He smiled, but it took some effort to make sure it was a nice friendly smile. "Form a contract with me," he said softly. "Then you won't be responsible for your actions at this meeting, since the contract binds you to do as I ask. I'll even keep it a secret between us that you did so willingly. When I let you go, you can't be held responsible for anything that happens. You can then go back to your god and tell him what happened between us without blame. That will surely put you back in his good graces, to be spying on a dangerous being like myself."

Between the magatama's charisma and the alcohol's influence, Michael took the offer seriously. "Would that really work? It sounds airtight."

"Your god speaks to you in feelings of confidence, so what do you feel?" Naoki asked.

"Yes, yes it would work," he said, sitting up as straight as he could now. "It will work. Very well then. I am the Seraph Michael, I am at your command."

His next move was swift, a particular enchantment he'd learned from the Riders. It used the binding words of the contract to cut through Michael's connection to his god and attach that to himself instead. That was how they commanded angels. "I am the Demifiend, I will use your power well."

And, the rebinding worked. Michael was stunned at it, unable to think briefly. Meanwhile, Naoki felt like something tightened around his mind, squeezing it painfully. He bit his lip trying to bear it. Michael was a powerful being to make a contract with, especially a rebinding one like this. Yet at the same time, the process passed some of the seraph's power to Naoki. If it happened as he hoped… yes, making the contract itself was enough to push his power to the point that he could keep this contract with Michael.

There was a rustle nearby as Pale Rider dismounted his horse. "You truly pulled it off," he said.

"I'm not done yet," Naoki said, moving away from the table to prove that he was handling this. "But I need him alert for what I came to do here."

Fortunately, Michael rubbed his forehead then. He looked over and was surprised. "Ah, m-my Lord?"

"Don't worry, you're fine," Naoki said, making the seraph visibly relieved. "Can you make my soul appear normal? I need to speak with the souls over there."

"Of course, that's simple," he said, reaching over and touching him. All signs that he was the Demifiend vanished: the lines, the horn, even the tinge of darkness that was visible here.

"Good, then I also need the barrier around them taken down," he continued. "I'd rather be left alone to speak with them. Keep an eye on this guy in the meantime, just don't fight him."

"Yes, my Lord," Michael said, promptly following his orders. Pale grumbled softly and leaned against his horse to wait.

When he passed by the screen, Naoki smiled to himself. This had actually worked! Having Michael as a follower was a nice bonus, but the real reward was letting his family go free from this place. "Mom, Dad!" he called over to get their attention.

"Naoki, you've come back!" his mother called. There was a momentary hesitation as they weren't sure if the barrier was still there. But she was there hugging him as soon as he proved that it wasn't. "Oh thank god, what's happened to you?"

Biting back on his initial comment, he said, "I'm sorry, I got pulled into some crazy stuff. I'm glad I'm back with you."

"We were waiting on you," his father said, hugging him once his mother let go. "We could go, but the others..."

"Our kids left with an angel a while back," his aunt said, worried for them. "We haven't seen any of them since."

"They're fine, I found them," Naoki said. "They're in a safe place now. Once you leave here, you'll find them soon."

"What about you?" his mother said. "You're coming with us. Right?"

His throat tensed. He didn't want to lie with them, but didn't want to burden them with the truth either. "No, not yet. I'm actually alive, with special permission to be here and say goodbye to you. I have to get back to the people I'm working with soon. We're going to make a better world. Maybe we have to part now, but I'm sure that we'll see each other again, perhaps sooner than we think."

"I hope so," she said.

"It'll be fine," his grandfather said. His actual grandfather, not the puppet Lucifer was using; even his soul had been captured? But he would be free too. The old man seemed more youthful here, perhaps how he'd seen himself. He patted Naoki on the shoulder. "I've been hearing whispers that a new world is being created. And if our Naoki is involved, I'm sure it'll be a great one."

He nodded, even though it was mostly Futomimi's design. "Yes, I have good faith in those I'm working with, and I'm doing all I can to help them. Even in meeting with you like this. Now I don't have to worry about you all. Please, I hope your souls can be truly at peace."

And with those words, the parting began. He had to let them go for the moment, all of them. But in return, he would bring them to a world that might just find true peace.

* * *

Pale Rider had agreed to this plan, in part because he was one of the few who could slip into a place like this unnoticed. The other fiends would stand out too much. Even so, he didn't know why the others were indulging Demifiend like this. This one was doing better than his predecessors, yes, but that just meant that the master would be furious that they were letting him take this risk. Besides, he still wasn't firmly on their side.

Although, the timing of this all meant that it shouldn't be a problem anymore, not unless he turned this deviousness against Lucifer. And that could be a problem since Demifiend could sway Michael into a binding contract. It had built his power immensely. Before long, there shouldn't be anything out of Demifiend's grasp.

"What are you even doing here?" Michael asked him.

"I'm working with him," Pale said, pointing out to Demifiend.

His eyes widened. "T-truly? I thought you'd been cast out forever."

"You've been out of the loop for quite some time," Pale said. To his satisfaction, Michael winced at that. At least this was a plus.

Then he felt something: souls being released to the care of the Great Will. Pale looked over to where Demifiend's family had been. And yes, they were departing to become out of reach to the angels. He could already accomplish that? Perhaps he was better suited to powers of death than he had seemed. The other fiends could have given him some instruction, but this wasn't something that could be done by just anyone.

Demifiend lingered there by himself for a moment. It was likely some human sentimentality. But when he turned back to join them, Pale noticed a change in how the boy was. Maybe this wasn't an indulgence. Maybe it was necessary for him to grow enough in darkness to release all of his sentimentality. Hope was burning brightly within his soul, hope in the Reason he had chosen to support. But that…

Pale Rider knew that he could get Demifiend back to the Vortex World seconds after he had left. But, that might not be for the best. As much as this mission might anger Lucifer, delaying Demifiend now was vital. "It is rare to see one of human birth able to handle a process of death so painlessly," Pale said, an honest compliment.

"I would not want to cause them pain," he said, misunderstanding it. "We can go back now."

"We can," Pale said, patting his horse's neck. "However, I have changed my mind about you as a result of this accomplishment. I had planned on battling you if you chose to prove yourself to me. But I think something else may prove your worth better." He waved the boy closer. "Take my horse and return home."

"On my own?" Demifiend asked, interested.

"I will follow you in case you get lost," Pale said. "I suppose this angel may as well accompany us as some extra muscle. You have taken control over Red's horse, but that was in a rational space that humans could survive in. The space between this place and the Vortex World that was your home is somewhere humans could not survive, much less navigate. If you accomplish this task, I will acknowledge you as worthy of my candelabrum and my loyalty."

"Sure, I'll do that," he said without hesitation.

What gave him that confidence? Whatever it was, Pale Rider would keep his word. He offered a hand to get Demifiend on the pale horse, silently reassuring his bond animal that this was fine. They never put riding gear on their horses, but Demifiend was comfortable with taking the gray mane and guiding the horse that way. While Pale was sure that the boy's soul could handle being out in the Amala Universe itself, the navigation was the true test.

Demifiend was ready to go; he called out the candelabrum that Lucifer had given to him. "Sovereignty," he said, then spent a moment thinking. "Lead me to where my three missing magatama lie."

The candelabrum lit itself, a white light of guidance.

Unexpectedly, his face darkened. "Isamu," Demifiend growled. His determination sharpened with the hunger of the parasites. He signaled the horse to hurry back to his Vortex World.

"I'm coming too," Michael said, hurrying after him. Pale Rider flew after them, unconcerned since it was his horse he was following.

It wasn't long before they were in the vast emptiness of space. Stars of Creation were spread neatly and evenly in spirals, a few watching over their embryonic worlds and searching for their ward's new purpose. Other Stars were watching living worlds, waiting for the time that they returned to this nest. The Stars were all Kagutsuchi, but if Lucifer was correct, there was only one Kagutsuchi. And the time Kagutsuchi was most vulnerable was at the moment of judgment.

In the space between, they encountered the dangers that could end Demifiend's existence just like Michael had been trying to. These were the lost souls of gods: those whose worlds had ended, those who had lost all believers, and worst of all, those who had never been fully born or named. The unnamed ones were capable of anything except willing themselves into existence. They were forced to drift here until a Reason bearer of some Vortex World managed to call them. As Demifiend bore a power of destruction, the lost gods might try to gain favor with Kagutsuchi by killing him.

But Demifiend ignored them all, pressing onward to his goal. Before they got back, Pale Rider felt satisfied with his success. This kind of drive would serve him well.

* * *

Isamu had been Naoki's best friend for years, the longest friendship he'd kept. But right now, Naoki felt a desire to kill him if he did not hand over the three magatama he held. Those three held the last of his power; he had to have them. Isamu should realize that, having seen him acquire Gaea. While Naoki hoped that Isamu had gathered them as an apology, he had a gut feeling that his former friend was going to try blackmailing him with them. There was a small part of his mind that couldn't believe this was happening, but his anger was far greater.

Finding his way back to his homeworld was similar to finding his way to the labyrinth from the depths of the network. The candelabrum led the way, this time using his connection to the magatama as a guide. But in this field of stars, it was difficult to gauge how fast the horse was running. There were points where they didn't seem to be making any progress. Naoki still pressed on.

Then one star grew immensely fast in his vision. That was the goal, that was home. Parcels of land shifted around Kagutsuchi like lines on a soap bubble. Like when they left the angelic river, space changed to bring them back into the world. Pale Rider quickly got to his side, placing a skeletal hand on Naoki's soul form to bring him back into a living body as they crossed into normal space.

While he'd used the magatama to get back, they emerged where they had left, outside of Ginza. His followers cheered on seeing them return successfully. Other demons soon joined in out of awe, a few shouting jeers towards Michael with him. The seraph stoically ignored them, back to his former confidence (although not back to sobriety). For the moment, Naoki felt like a victorious champion even though he had no intention of being the one they said they were waiting for.

The crowd was quick to quiet down when Pale Rider spoke up. "I did not believe that a hybrid being was the answer to our prayers, but you have proven to me that I was wrong. I have accepted a few of your failed predecessors out of obligation. However, I accept you now out of respect." He bowed, then called out the Candelabrum of Majesty to pass over. "I am the Fiend Pale Rider, death is now on your side."

Matching his respect, Naoki bowed from where he was on the horse. "I am the Demifiend, I will use your power well." This caused another round of cheers as he accepted Majesty and dismounted. He kept hold of it a moment, but waved Amaterasu and Wu Kong over to his side. They and Michael would now be his traveling companions. Another pair of demons came out of the crowd as well: Loki and Nyx. "You two came out for this?" Naoki asked, surprised to see them.

"All of the customers left, so we figured we may as well," Nyx said, although she seemed proud of him. "Good job."

Loki was in a good mood too. "Yeah, that was quite a stunt to pull off. And I'll keep my word: here." He passed over a gold key that had star insignia on the handle. "This is for a later Kalpa than you can't have reached yet. I was supposed to challenge you for it when you got stuck, but since you challenged yourself far better than I could come up with, I'll give it to you now."

"Thanks," Naoki said, putting it away for now. At least with this, he could potentially get through the rest of the Kalpas in one go. But when to do that was the question. And, there were other things he should get before he went back to the labyrinth.

Nyx chuckled, putting a hand to her mouth. "Loki, I'm sure you could have come up with something better if you weren't blind drunk for the majority of this world's existence."

"Bah, what good is sobriety?" Loki said, waving her off.

"Getting this done means that I just need to finish Trumpeter's challenge to be done outside the labyrinth," Naoki said, looking up to where the skeletal angel was hovering. "You ready to be taken down?"

Trumpeter laughed at this. "Given how you've flown so far, this is going to take half of eternity. But if you want to keep going, I'm up for it."

"Don't be too cocky," Pale Rider said, although it was difficult to say who he was telling this to.

"Let's go," Naoki said, since he needed the borrowed wings back.

"Yes, let's," Trumpeter said before playing that melody again.

Before the skeleton angel could move, Naoki took off on the wings as soon as he could, straight at Trumpeter to punch his skull. Trumpeter got away right after, then fled through Ginza once again. But this time, Naoki wasn't trying to fool anyone. He let the magatama guide his wings and chased the fiend through the small maze of buildings. His reactions moved quicker than he could see, letting him skim right across the corner of one building, then shoot off towards another. While Trumpeter was caught a moment thinking that he'd crashed, he slowed down. Naoki caught up and nailed him with a move that put iron claws on his fists.

Then a beam of radiant light struck Trumpeter as a follow-up. Perhaps not knowing the original terms, Michael had chased after them. And since he came, Wu Kong and Amaterasu decided to join in on the aerial battle. Seeing that, Trumpeter nodded. "If they can follow, we can change things. Come on, I still have the advantage." He then left the Ginza cluster to head straight for Kagutsuchi.

Naoki closed his eyes so that chasing after him didn't require looking straight at the blue star. His sight was more of a hindrance in this situation anyhow. About midway to Kagutsuchi, Trumpeter stopped near a cluster of floating cubes. They were like the ones in the obelisk. What were they doing here? But it didn't matter. This was a test on aerial combat, so landing was out of the question.

Trumpeter then played a different melody, one that healed him back to full health. "With this holy song, the weakest among us shall be returned to strength," he said. "By the count of my breaths, I will play its evil counterpart which will cause the weakest among us to perish. The blades of death hang in the balance. Can you win under its threat?"

"Of course," Naoki replied. He didn't say how many breaths, but the answer to that was simple. They just had to cause enough damage fast enough that Trumpeter didn't get a chance to play his evil song. "Wu Kong, get us buffed to be fast and strong," he whispered to his followers. "Amaterasu, Michael, just hit him as hard as you can so he goes down quick."

They confirmed their orders and carried on: Michael continued with his Expel magic that somehow cut right through Trumpeter's resistance to damage him greatly. Perhaps it was because that was an attack of pure damage, not trying to cast him out of the world like Hama did. Amaterasu shifted around between her elemental spells of Wind Cutter, Ziodyne, and Prominence before settling on the last. With that kind of magic being thrown around, getting in close was not a good option.

Don't worry, you've gotten strong enough to carry out a lot of more powerful attacks yourself. Here, how about these? Mess around with them and see what you think is best.

Messing around in a battle of these stakes might not be wise normally. But Naoki felt like his followers, including Wu Kong once he got their buffs set, were knocking Trumpeter down well enough on their own. He could probably take on a healer's role now with spells that Sophia and Nirvana came with. However, that wasn't what he was meant to be doing. And he had the distance attacks now to keep out of his companion's magic. Divine Shot, Javelin Rain… Friekugel.

The last one from Kailash was particular effective, a bright shot like White Rider's God's Bow except that it counted as almighty physical skill rather than magic like Megido. Naoki couldn't remember running across any demon that blocked out almighty damage. Not even Lucifer. It cut into his energy a lot to use, but not nearly what Deadly Fury took out of him when he'd been brute forcing it to work. He could use it just three times before he had to call for a healing, but Amaterasu had that covered well with Mediarahan.

Although, he decided it as better to use Friekugal just twice before getting a heal. Trumpeter was calling on powerful magic himself against all of them, like the vast blizzard of Mabufudyne that briefly turned the air here frosty. It felt like he could keep his spells going for longer than Amaterasu could hold out without having to back off for Mana Refill to kick in. Michael could probably keep up, although Naoki didn't want to pull him on healing duty when his Judgment Light was more effective right now than Friekugal.

He's going to use Evil Melody.

With that warning from his magatama, Naoki braced himself as Trumpeter got his instrument to his teeth. The weakest… that was actually Michael right now. But Trumpeter was nearly out himself. Naoki fired off Friekugal one more time right as Trumpeter got one note off. And that was it; Trumpeter was defeated.

Wu Kong was quick to move, darting over to catch the candelabrum before it fell all the way back to the sandy patches of land (or even worse, into the void of the Amala Universe). He then came over to hand it to him. "Got it! That was one hell of a ride!"

"Yeah, it was," Naoki agreed, taking the gold-plated candelabrum of Godliness. Wait, that couldn't be right...

Trumpeter reappeared in front of him then. "Well done, so you were faking most of those deaths," he said. "I was one of those who doubted that this would be of any help, but you've convinced me. With what you've accomplished today, I'm sure you can fulfill our master's wishes." He nodded and tapped his feet. "I am the Fiend Trumpeter, I shall herald your coming."

He nodded back, sending the candelabrum away. "I am the Demifiend, I shall use your power well." He opened his eyes to glance back down at the interior surface of this Vortex World. The few remnants of Tokyo stood out here, surrounded by concentric sand dunes like they had been plopped down there. "Since we're up here, I hope you don't mind me landing in Asakusa."

"Go ahead, if that suits your purposes," Trumpeter said. There was a faint scent of something to him, smugness?

"Asakusa is going to be chaotic if we go there now," Michael said.

"Why's that?" he asked, looking over at the seraph.

"The other three are helping the leader of Yosuga take the city forcefully from the manikins and slaughter them so we can call on one worthy to represent her." He said that like it meant nothing to him.

"What?!" Naoki snapped. He was supposed to be helping Futomimi. Was he safe? And had Michael given some signal for this to happen while he had him distracted? But then, Yosuga was Chiaki's Reason. How was she doing this now when the last sign he'd seen of her was Sakahagi having her freshly cut off arm while Yoyogi burned?

Michael was suddenly full of dread, terrorized at his anger. "Ah, well, th-the Divine clan went with her, so we were working to help them, in, in accordance to Kagutsuchi's rules."

There was something so delicious about his magatsuhi right now, a feeling of power over another that Naoki had never really felt before. But that wasn't going to help. Trying to ignore that, he said, "Calm down, we'll just go there and stop them. Trumpeter, are you in on this?"

"A raid against the other three seraphs?" he asked, delighted at the idea. "Certainly, let's strike swiftly."

Naoki nodded and took off for the crater that held Asakusa and Mifunashiro. Was he going to make it there in time to help?


	34. First of the Fallen Reasons

'Divine Messenger, come within my presence.'

Elzbieta tilted her head. As far as she knew, this wasn't typical for her role. But she couldn't break her cover yet. That meant responding to Kagutsuchi's call. She looked down at the manikin children that she'd been telling stories too. There wasn't a lot they could do with rebuilding this city, and the adult manikins were too busy with their work. So, she'd offered to keep an eye on the kids and entertain them.

"I'm sorry, but Kagutsuchi calls," she said cheerfully.

"I didn't hear anything?" the girl said.

"You wouldn't, it only spoke to me." She patted the girl on the head. "I'll be back once I'm done. Be good kids until then."

"Okay, Elzbieta," the kids said. Like any other kids, they were adorable and eager to learn. She smiled at them, then took off into the air to reach the star of Creation. When she arrived, she made a curtsy in the air. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Why are you wasting time speaking to those manikins?" it asked.

Curious. She took her trumpet in both hands. "I have nothing more to do as your Messenger until this world passes back to life."

"Their kind are incomplete. They should not be encouraged. You will stay away from them."

How long would it take Kagutsuchi to notice that it could not order her about like the other angels? It couldn't be long now. As such, she went ahead and asked, "Why not?"

As expected, that angered it. "You should know already! Their prophet got a Reason on technicality, but we have no intention of fulfilling an incomplete Reason. They have no way to make a complete Reason."

"So you're not as impartial as advertised," Elzbieta said. "Good to know."

Kagutsuchi's radiance sharpened, but even that could do nothing against her. "What is a rogue like you doing here? Why do you still bear divinity?"

"Because I am true to my Lord," she said, then gave a little wave. "Bye!"

"Wait!" Kagutsuchi lashed out, creating a barrier around her when she tried to escape. "You… you're one of the Mormon angels."

Keeping her wits about her, Elzbieta replied, "Tsk tsk, should've noticed sooner. I'm surprised it took you this long."

There was a rumble from the star, a shifting of light. "And while you still hold the title of Divine Messenger, I cannot do anything to you."

"Right, there's that," she said with a nod.

"But once this Vortex World has fulfilled its purpose, you will be held accountable for your interference. This will not be forgiven." Kagutsuchi then turned its attention away elsewhere, satisfied that it had her held until the end.

"Hmph." Elzbieta flicked the barrier with her fingers, gaining information on it. How silly. This was the kind of thing trumpeters were meant for. Still, it would take some time to dismantle.

Hopefully nothing happened in Asakusa while she was breaking this apart.

* * *

The angels were swift and powerful; the manikins were barely resilient because they were made of clay. It took them a little longer to break apart in death than a being of flesh. But Chiaki had the ability to crush their heads with her bare hands, turning them into lifeless mud and ragged clothes. They were finally being put in their place, the fools. Creation was not a power for the weak.

On the other hand, she had the backing of a legion of angels. She had made their leaders bow to her. Nothing was going to stop her. But then, it was a nice little thing that these manikins were here. One of the ways to prove a Reason's worthiness was to offer a sacrifice to the summoned god. These were exactly the kinds of people she did not want in her world, thus it was worthy to stamp them out now as her sacrifice.

She could tell that this was a place of sacred power; the waterfalls drowned out any sounds of the outside world while the earth was rich and fertile. It was perfect for her. And now there was just one of these dolls left. There was something about him, like a high-end doll among a bunch of cheap knock-offs. In the end, though, he was still just another doll trying to be something more. That was a sin for which he had to pay.

"Why do you try to struggle when faced with superior power?" Chiaki asked him. "It's time to stop pretending that you're real and return to the earth that you mistakenly rose from."

This one was being defiant by not showing a wink of fear even faced with her and three seraphs. Something about her words struck him enough that he stood up in anger; he tossed down a small wooden coin. "I decided that I would fight Kagutsuchi for the sake of my people," he said. Strangely, his demeanor was undisturbed in spite of the way he narrowed his eyes at her. "You are just another obstacle then. It matters not if you've cast them down. I will bring them back up and give the next world to them."

"Those are meaningless words," she said, irked at his confidence. He was weak! He should be submitting immediately. To demonstrate, she whipped her vine-bound arm to choke his life out too. "I will show you that."

Somehow, he ducked his way out of her reach, then lunged forward and struck her. It was a pitiful attack; he stood no chance against her. But he was still going to try. He didn't even bother replying, just searched for his next opening.

"Lady Chiaki," Gabriel called as the other two moved away from the battle. "The Demifiend will arrive shortly. Sacrifice that prophet, then call upon the goddess. Leave us to distract him."

The manikin tried to strike her again, she stepped back and elbowed him to the ground. "Go ahead with that, I don't need you for showing this mud doll his place."

That should have been enough, where she could crush his head with her boot. But he got back to his feet to keep fighting. There was no trembling or crying in him, no begging for mercy like the others had tried. It angered Chiaki that someone so undeserving would keep trying to live, much less keep trying to prove himself worthy of the power she should have. She pierced through his body with her vines and forced them to grow there, breaking him apart.

Even with that, the manikin prophet remained defiant. "If Jiyuu dies now, then Yosuga will quickly follow," he said as the lower half of his body dropped to the ground. He even had the nerve to smile at her before perishing.

"No it won't!" Chiaki declared, slamming his head into the ground so that his mocking smile was smashed for good and erased from her memory. "You won't even die like the other manikins." A laugh escaped her anger. "But that's the thing: you're dead now, and so is your Reason. You never got to call on a god while I will use this place to bring mine to me."

Things were finally going her way, as they should have been all along. There was a clash in another part of this massive cavern; Naoki and his demon followers were fighting against the seraphs. Still, Chiaki wasn't worried. There was no way he could stand before the might of the seraphs, with the powers to smite wicked beings easily. She could take her time to show off, but she may as well do this so she could show him what true power was.

Now, the words Gabriel had given her… "To the god that once died, I call out to thee to rise again, bringing the world back under your light. For the sake of Yosuga, I call you back to life!"

An immense light and power filled her, transforming her once again. But while Gozu-Tennoh had made her undeniably strong, her true god, the one true god, made her the shining vision of strength and beauty that she had always been. No one could deny her now.

Although, it seemed things were going wrong elsewhere in the cavern.

Heh, like it mattered.

Yosuga would triumph.

* * *

They knew that facing the Demifiend would be a difficult battle even with him not at full power. But when he stormed into the cavern after them, Raphael felt a chill down his spine. The boy's soul had darkened considerably, was darkening with fury and corruption before their very eyes. He was closer to being a full demon than a full human now. Worse than that were the ones that accompanied him: the two demons they had expected him to be with, the Fiend Trumpeter, and one of their own.

"Michael?" Raphael called in alarm. That was no shade, it was unmistakably their leader.

"What happened to you?" Gabriel asked, taking her sword in hand but hesitating on attacking.

"What happened to you?" Michael countered. "Why are you standing in our way?"

"Why are you with him?" Uriel asked.

"Why would I not be with Him when He comes down to lead us Himself?" he said in confidence. "Stand back!"

"What's going on?" Gabriel asked, nearly panicking. "We agreed to back Yosuga; we're going to see it fulfilled as a true Reason."

There was an evil glint to Demifiend's eyes. "Michael," he said, reassured at this situation somehow.

"Yes, my Lord," Michael said, responded to some unspoken command. He then beckoned to them. "We've been wandering blindly, but no more! I will make you see the truth. Uriel."

"Stop this," Raphael said. Was this the right time to be fighting? They weren't supposed to fight each other, not even in jest. But they also weren't supposed to be obeying the commands of someone so clearly under Lucifer's influence.

At his side, Uriel stiffened, faltering in keeping himself aloft. He gripped his head as he sunk to the ground. "Aaa, why…?"

"I said stop!" Raphael said, dashing ahead to strike Michael. Maybe he just had to knock him out of this mistake, get him back to his senses.

Before he got the attack off, Demifiend stepped between them and took the blade for Michael. He then slammed his fist into Raphael's head in retaliation. "No, you stop," he said, ignoring the off-color blood coming from his chest.

Gabriel tried healing them both up. "Sorry Michael, we have to fight you now," she said.

"No!" Uriel shouted, going over and slamming her in her wings with his sword. He then flew over to Demifiend. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you! I don't know how..."

"Don't worry about it," Demifiend said, with a gentleness that had to be mocking. "Just confirm your contract with me."

"Uriel, don't!" Gabriel cried in horror.

"Of course," Uriel said, bowing to him. "I am the Seraph Uriel, my life is yours."

"I am the Demifiend, I will use your power well," he said, briefly touching Uriel's head as he sealed the contract. It should not have worked, and yet… Uriel sank down again in a daze while Demifiend stepped around him. The trumpeter with him followed. "Go on."

"Gabriel," Michael called, waving to her now.

"Don't give in to them!" Raphael said, attempting to attack both Demifiend and Trumpeter to get them out of the way. But what now? If Uriel and Michael both had spoken new contracts with Demifiend, there was no easy way to release them from that. But why would Michael have formed a contract with their enemy in the first place? He was supposed to have eradicated his soul.

Trumpeter kept his place in the air, not even bothering to attack back. Demifiend did, retaliating once again and knocking Raphael back. Gritting his teeth, Raphael prepared to strike again. Perhaps if he just killed Demifiend right now, the contracts would be undone. That could be difficult when the fallen goddess with him had healed him back up so that no trace of that heavy blow remained. Not even a bit of blood on his marked skin.

Then he got struck hard from behind; Gabriel was no slouch in battle. Her wings were damaged from Uriel's attack, but she still got herself to Demifiend. "I'm sorry, but I'm so glad to see you again!"

"No, don't!" Raphael cried out, trying to block out the next statement. But he had to heal himself if he was going to have any chance at saving them.

"...just confirm your contract with me," Demifiend said to her.

"Yes," she said blindly. "I am the Seraph Gabriel, my life is yours."

He didn't get to hear the contract being sealed as Michael quickly turned his attention to him. "Raphael."

He was using Brainwash, a skill meant to save lost souls before they became beyond salvation. But they'd never gotten it right as it did nothing to humans. It did work on the souls of demons and angels, though, especially when the one using the skill in question was undeniably higher in the chain of command… "Stop this, you'll ruin us!" Raphael said frantically, moving to attack while Demifiend was distracted with Gabriel.

But it was Uriel who blocked his attack this time, pushing back blade against blade. "Stop fighting it," Uriel said with a strange pity.

"Come back to your proper place with us," Michael said, speaking to him purely through magic.

Raphael's whole body trembled, causing him to lose his grip on his sword. "This isn't, isn't right."

"We were wrong," Uriel said quietly, expertly keeping his sword from striking Raphael as he won the match-up. "But we will be forgiven."

"God is now with us, come back to His side," Michael said.

"God?" Raphael said, still shaking. A painful loneliness welled up in his soul, something he often denied because they were meant to be powerful agents of God. It had still been there ever since they had realized that they'd lost contact with God. While it couldn't be right, he looked over at where Michael was with…

Someone whose light was obscured by darkness. Somehow who might be hiding their true self? It had to be that, it couldn't be anything else.

"Y-you're back," he said, then realized what he'd been doing. "I-I'm sorry, it's become so hard to tell what you mean for us to do..."

"Don't worry about it," He said, in a way that was a far cry from the righteous anger Raphael had feared should it turn out they were fooling themselves again. "Just confirm your contract with me."

He nodded, seeing no reason to hesitate. "Yes, I am the Seraph Raphael, my life is yours."

He touched his head, reassuring him. He said something to seal the contract, but the words were beyond Raphael. But, it didn't matter. Things were right with the universe again; there was no doubts anymore. He was meant to serve his God and he had finally managed to return to His side.

He would do anything for Him.

* * *

It had been a struggle for Naoki to start a contract with one of the seraphs. Now he unexpectedly had all four under his command. It was still a strain, but making the contracts was helping to support them. Still, these angels were unfortunate beings. They bought into the ruse so quickly, like they were dying of thirst and finally found water to quench themselves with. Naoki patted Raphael's head while he was recovering from the rebinding, then moved ahead. He wasn't going to hate the seraphs.

But someone deserved the hatred blazing in his soul now. Asakusa had almost seemed alive again thanks to the manikins' efforts. Now it was once again a city of death, with a painful silence much worse than the rest of fallen Tokyo. They weren't even being respected in death, just left littered across the streets and halls. The angels had massacred them, but angels had bound wills unable to decide for themselves. As such, they weren't responsible. The one responsible was the one who had led this attack: Chiaki.

No… no, that was no longer Chiaki as he'd known her. She was some living statue that had inherited her face and soul, but that wasn't his friend. She was a pristine white of perfect form, trying to be an untouchable work of art. And yet a mockery of life as well, given that she bore just one arm and one wing, with her legs fused together into something that shouldn't even move. A god had taken over Chiaki upon being summoned: Baal Avatar.

"You've come at an opportune time to be the first witness to my ascension," Baal said, smug as she saw herself far above them. "I have become the pinnacle of perfection, strength and beauty as one, the ideal light for a good and perfect world."

Naoki snorted at that. "Perfection? You're a mockery of everything that is right. Chiaki, if you're still in there to hear me, you've made an unbelievably dumb mistake in calling on a god that encompasses all evil."

Baal sputtered in response. "Wh-evil? Mistake? No, I have made no mistakes! I have called upon an avatar of the one true God. As I have succeeded, the rest of Creation is merely a formality. Yosuga will be the next world."

"No, He's right," Raphael said, getting his mind back to the moment and joining them.

"Yes, Baal is a stock villain god that we call upon sometimes to prove the worthiness of the true God," Gabriel said. "He's a mockery of one who rivaled our lord far in the past, thus he will forever be one of squalor."

"That is not right!" Baal snapped, waving her one arm at them. It looked ridiculous.

"You were being too selfish to be a true representative of God," Michael said. "We deemed that it was best if you took on the form of Baal so that we could cast you out once the world was made by Yosuga's standards. It would prove God's authority as the ultimate power and the new world would be ours unquestionably."

"Stop making them lie, Naoki!" Baal said, briefly sounding like Chiaki. "I can eradicate all of you!"

"Want to try?" he said, smiling at her fit. "Except, no, you don't have a chance and we are going to stop you here and now."

"No..." her anger faded briefly. "You may have stolen them from me, but you will not prevail. I will go and call upon the road to Kagutsuchi, and then..."

A powerful barrier appeared around the cavern, trapping them all inside. The notes of a trumpet faded as Elzbieta appeared on the other side of Baal. "Ah, no escaping now, miss," she said, more serious than she had been before. "You can't call yourself good when you kill off an entire race of innocents. Besides, if you are the pinnacle of strength, prove it against him."

"Fine, then I will destroy you all to prove my worthiness!" A blinding burst of radiance came from her, striking everyone in the sealed area with her.

It did little to the four seraphs or the two trumpeters. Naoki got hit hard since he still had Iyomante leading. However, he had to leave that magatama in place for a while longer. He shifted his skills to make nullifying Expel active, since that was an added passive from Nirvana. Meanwhile, Gabriel had them healed up quickly from the initial attack. "We do not fear anything that Baal can do," she said in calm confidence.

"Neither do I," Naoki said. Figuring the seraphs would know what Baal was capable of, he whispered the god's capabilities to his other followers. Baal had no particular weakness but would resist many forms of damage.

He ended up letting the seraphs take the front line in this battle. When Baal started throwing out curses, they could cancel them out. One did slip through and struck Amaterasu, turning her into a fly. Naoki quickly got to her side to cover for her since it seemed anything might destroy her in that state. He had to shift out another active skill to block out the chances of him ending up cursed in the same manner. Still, as long as he had Focus and Friekugal, he could keep contributing to the battle while not getting up close.

At the very end of it, Baal got so incensed that she barreled past Raphael and blazed straight for Naoki. She intended to turn him to a smear on the ground with the last of her life if that's what it took to defeat him. He responded by meeting her face on with Iron Claw, shattering her supposedly perfect statuesque body into worthless shards.

The god Baal was quick to leave her soul behind, recognizing his defeat and not wanting to stick around for it to be realized. Chiaki's soul desperately tried to hold on. "Naoki… how can you have such power and not agree with Yosuga?"

He frowned at her. "I said it before: your world would have crushed me like you crushed the manikins. I am not someone who would trample over others merely because they are not strong enough to defend themselves."

"That is..." she must have realized that she did not have the strength to continue arguing for her cruel Reason. "You have defeated me… in accordance with Yosuga… fine I accept. You won. Do what you want." She finally let go and died. A small stone shaped like a 9 or a 6 clattered onto the ground.

"That's the Heavenstone, one of the keys to meeting with Kagutsuchi," Elzbieta said, flying over towards them. "You'll want to hang on to that."

The seraphs were quick on guard around her. "I thought we eradicated you Mormons," Michael said threateningly.

"Don't worry about her, she's not important," Naoki quickly told them, keeping another fight from breaking out.

"Thanks," she said, although not with her former energy. "But they're not the only ones who finally recognized me. I'm going to have to hide out here for the time being. Kagutsuchi called on me just before this all happened. They were doing fine until then." She was genuinely regretful, also hurt by this.

"I should have been here," Naoki said, then dug his fingernails into his palms. "But we stopped the one who destroyed them. That's the best we can do for now. But, the timing on when we both got distracted is too convenient. I will make Kagutsuchi pay for this."

Elzbieta nodded. "It's not as impartial as it claims to be. But now the Reason it favored is gone as well."

"We can't let the other two Reasons succeed either," Naoki said. "I'm going to Amala Temple. Isamu's there, I know it. And, it seems that when I need to find you again, you'll be here."

"Yes, if that time comes and you have need of my assistance," Elzbieta said.

"Pah, there's nothing she can do that we can't handle," Trumpeter said, irritated at her presence.

He had no idea what as going on, Naoki realized. "Perhaps. Let's get going."

Now the trouble was going to be holding himself back when this hatred had not been quelled and Isamu still held onto his last three magatama. Naoki found that he didn't care about that, though. He wasn't satisfied with just Baal's destruction.

* * *

Jiyuu has fallen; this Reason is no longer valid.

Yosuga has fallen; this Reason is no longer valid.

The two messages blinked insistently on the Amala drum until Hijiri touched them to acknowledge that he'd read them. It was disheartening to learn that Futomimi had died. He was a good person, genuine in his selflessness towards his followers. On reading what had happened… Futomimi had fought for his ideals to the end. Hijiri wished he could have done something more.

But then, the girl that had murdered Futomimi and led the massacre of nearly all the manikins was now dead as well. She'd managed to call on her god. For some inexplicable reason, she'd called on Baal and Kagutsuchi had allowed that demon to answer as a god. It was bizarre, but Hijiri could only think of one explanation: Kagutsuchi was not impartial and had actually decided to favor Yosuga before its road had been called upon. But still, the question remained of why Baal?

_It was the seraphs, it's recorded right here through their actions. They were setting her up to fall. In an amusing twist, they're now contracted to Naoki and believe that he is their God. It's a shame that He would isolate them so much that they accepted that deception wholeheartedly. Indeed, they're quite happy now. It's nice, but there's no way that can last. They'll pay for that happiness, disproportionately hard. I can't help but feel sorry for them even with all they'd done._

For some reason, Hijiri found himself pitying the seraphs. But trying to explain that feeling to himself quickly slipped from his mind as he went back to his original intention: gaining control over the network. Summoning a terminal was easy; he'd figured that out a while ago. Getting around Hikawa's privacy guards took a little doing, but now he understood that enough to try defending himself with it. Hikawa was accessing the terminal at the moment, but wasn't paying attention to what Hijiri was doing.

And Hijiri wasn't really paying attention to Hikawa either. The real obstacle here was Isamu. That boy had already fused himself with spirits who inhabited the network, allowing him to exist freely within it. It meant that currently, Isamu could only manifest physically in the Amala Temple. It was the only place in this Vortex World that was connected enough to the network for beings within it to emerge and remain fully connected. There was also somewhere else he should be able to manifest, a location called the Amala Labyrinth. However, the labyrinth was tightly under Lucifer's control. Isamu couldn't enter it and Hijiri…

_That would not be a wise thing to do._

Hijiri felt it was safe enough to ignore the labyrinth for now. Tangling with Lucifer and coming out unscathed wasn't something he could accomplish right now. That might well be beyond Hijiri's grasp until he had mastery of the network.

"What do you think you're doing?" Isamu asked, speaking through the terminal in spite of Hijiri putting up a privacy screen.

"That's none of your business," Hijiri said.

"No, it is my business to stop you." Ghostly hands emerged. Before he could get out of the room, they dragged him forcefully into the network. "I need a sacrifice anyhow; you should do just fine."

_No, but I'll let you be an idiot. I'm your rival, yes, but not for long enough to count. And with this manikin body, you won't have the magatsuhi to call on a true god. At best for you, you'll end up with a faint being like Aradia. You don't have the sheer number of sacrifices Chiaki did to make up for what I am now. But the network… of course, it slips out before I can grab it, I'm not meant to… no, no, I'll keep trying this until my end. I want to be free of this, I will be free of this!_

"It's not yet time for me to give up," Hijiri said, feeling more determined than he'd ever been in spite of becoming a captive.


	35. The Amala Temple

In the terminal room by Mifunashiro, Naoki glanced over at Michael. "Which of these commands will send us to the Amala Temple?"

He didn't hesitate to point out a set of characters similar to the ones that led to the labyrinth. "Here. The only terminal there is in the entrance hall."

"That works," he said, then ordered the terminal to send them there. The transport went without incident despite Isamu being there.

Although once they exited the terminal room, the door locked loudly behind them. They were left within an unreal building, with glowing red walls, black pillars, and glossy floors that gave off faint reflections. Then again, whatever power created the labyrinth probably created this place as well. Someone else was here with them, but it wasn't Isamu.

"Naoki, good timing," Hijiri said, coming towards them from the center of the four halls. "I was just brought here..." and red chains of magatsuhi quickly bound him, covering his mouth and preventing him from speaking.

"Hijiri?" Naoki ran over; he could probably break those chains.

He didn't make it before Hijiri got dragged back down another hall. "Stop, he's mine now," Isamu said without appearing there.

Not in a mood to deal with this, Naoki called back, "Isamu, let him go!"

"Don't worry, I'll make good use of him." Isamu wrapped up Hijiri entirely and made him vanish from the entrance hall. "And yes, good timing on your part. I'm about to call on my god and you're going to help me."

"No, I am going to tear you into pieces," Naoki warned. "Drop the pretense, I know what you're doing. You have my magatama. You may not realize it yet, but that is a mistake. Everyone who has tried to keep them from me is dead, as you will soon be."

Despite him not being physically there, his fear came through in a satisfying way. "I-I don't have them! Really, I don't. There's these three demons here who have them..."

He nodded, having seen this with Majesty. "Because you gave them to those demons. That is not going to save you. Unless you change your tune and help me, I am in no mood to be listening to you come up with excuses for your selfish actions. You really are a child who's not yet grown up."

"You're not even human anymore," Isamu retorted weakly. "Fine, I'll unlock the other pyramids and, and I'll shut off all the traps they set up. I can't do any more than that."

At this point, Naoki didn't care what he said. But the magatama were with those three demons. They had to be defeated first. He led the way out into the temple itself, considering how to handle this. They emerged in a courtyard of stone paths over still silent waters. There were four pyramids here, all made of smooth marble in humanly impossible perfection. Even from here, Naoki could tell three of the pyramids were vast stores of magatsuhi. In the center was an inverted pyramid that somehow stood upon a single point. It spun slowly to its own meaning.

Do we really have to play these games? They're a waste of time.

Naoki snapped his fingers, calling on the four Riders to join them. "You Riders, go take on the pyramid to the left there. Seraphs, take the pyramid on the right. The rest of you can come with me to the far one. Defeat the demon that's holding my magatama and bring them back to me. Don't mess with the magamata, just bring it back."

"Yes, my Lord," Michael said quickly with the other three nodding. The last bit of his orders were mostly for them, although the rebinding should keep them from doing anything against him. But with the last of his magatama all here in one place, he did not want anything to go wrong.

"It shall be no challenge," Pale Rider said for his group.

"You got it, boss," Wu Kong said. Amaterasu nodded, although something seemed to be bothering her despite being restored from a fly.

Trumpeter shrugged. "Sure enough, since I'm already here." They all split up to accomplish their tasks. Isamu was not going to be given much time to do anything.

The interior of the far pyramid was full of white light and many small rooms. Inactive magic pointed to the traps that had been mentioned. For here, nearly every door and many tiles on the floor had been enchanted to teleport the unwary that crossed them. With them inactivate, they could go straight to the most powerful demon in residence here, the one that was holding onto Adama.

"Naoki, are you…?" Amaterasu started to say, but stopped as she glanced at Trumpeter.

He could guess what she meant to say. "Don't worry. My friends are important to me and I care about them a lot. But it seems they may as well have died at Conception along with everyone else. Then they wouldn't have been turned insane by Kagutsuchi's games."

"Oh," she said, uncomfortable with that.

"Chiaki and Isamu..." there was something in him that wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He couldn't even if he wanted to. "They would not have done these things. But Kagutsuchi allowed one man to destroy everything of my world, right or wrong. It cannot be allowed to escape blame for that, nor for twisting them into these monsters."

"While it does make for good training, this whole thing is insane," Wu Kong agreed. He nudged Amaterasu. "No one can deny that."

"That is true," she said, disheartened.

That tone nearly broke Naoki out of his thoughts. Was he doing the right thing anymore? But then, it was like his other selves had demonstrated. This was a maze of bad choices. When the one good choice that might have made a better world was crushed mercilessly, he could see only one appropriate response: crush the one responsible for this whole insanity equally without mercy.

And once he had all of his magatama, he would be capable of doing just that.

* * *

This book is frustrating, but if I get too lost into it, I'll keep missing out on Naoki's deeds. I barely got the viewing screen up in time to see him confront the other seraphs and Baal Avatar. Thankfully, Harlot and even Pale Rider were able to distract him long enough for Jiyuu to fall. His anger and hatred at his former friends is a raging wildfire, much like the one he confronted in Yoyogi Park. This is excellent; nothing should keep him from coming to me now.

Now he's seen fit to pursue his other friend to the Amala Temple. That half-wit thought he had a brilliant scheme, but it fell right apart when Naoki actually confronted him about the blackmail. There are some things you simply don't tempt with because they're far more likely to backfire. Then again, the bearer of Musubi is fittingly self-absorbed and doesn't have the social experience to know that's a terrible idea. As a result, Naoki's claiming a rout with little effort.

It's almost a pity because his scheming has become quite an art. With that, he's even got the troublesome seraphs firmly under his thumb. Some might call him a master at it; I think he could be a worthy student to me now in even that. That could backfire on me, of course. He's meant to be my weapon, so it would not do to have him scheming against me. While it could be amusing to see if I could hone his scheming, it would be best to leave that to himself so he can't surpass me.

The pyramids of this temple aren't a challenge with the traps disabled. The Riders are already bored with it. Still, they're fighting Skadi as instructed to regain the magatama she was given. It won't be much to watch. Naoki could be interesting to see how he deals with the demons waiting on him at the end of the White Temple. But what of the seraphs in the Black Temple? It should be cursed with darkness.

Even if the traps had been active, darkness is nothing to angels like them. They're singing as they make their way to where Alciel awaits them. Such pitiful fools. If I'd realized that the rebinding would make even them see their contract partner as God, I would have taken advantage of that sooner. They were already deluded by isolation and have done ridiculous things out of lonely wishes. It should have been obvious that some kind deception would get them to pull the wool over their eyes eagerly. While I know what I would do with them, Naoki doesn't seem sure of that himself. He's keeping them out of pity.

But he does have a great capacity for love and empathy, enough that he wanted to see those manikins succeed. The seraphs' tearful apologies and childish eagerness for a guiding light were more than enough for Naoki to look past their deeds. He would forgive them. As a result, they're in complete euphoria right now, not caring one whit about what they're actually doing. It's… I'm actually a bit jealous of them right now. Just a bit. They're idiots, thinking they've been welcomed home warmly by family they'd been distant to for eons.

That happiness going to cost them severely. I just hope that Naoki can get away from them when that punishment comes for them.

* * *

Djed… Gundari… Adama… those were the last.

Adama Anathema Ankh Djed Gaea Gehenna Geis Gundari Hifumi Iyomante Kailash Kamudo Kamurogi Marogareh Miasma Murakumo Muspell Narukami Nirvana Satan Shiranui Sophia Vimana Wadatsumi

And Naoki.

Half human half demon with the magatama acting as a bridge between both sides. It is not a simple divide to unite; often one side ends up dominating the other. This has to be a true union of both sides, merging into one. Each magatama is a resource of strength and knowledge; each has a relationship to all the others. Opposed powers, same powers, similar knowledge, connected knowledge, cover for a weakness, support for a strength. All the connections tie into each other, closing the gaps. Demon senses interpreted through a human mind, human emotions parsed into something demon instinct could understand.

We were made to be one with you.

We were made… to be one.

I see.

Everything here has simply been training. My first true enemy is Kagutsuchi. Although, Isamu and Chiaki… I still believe they wouldn't have done these crazy things if not put in this crazy situation. It's like this light has pulled out the worst side of them. And Kagutsuchi believes this is the best way to handle things. It's all because of… hmm…

The magatama were created to draw me to Lucifer's side. I knew that already, but they found it difficult to admit Lucifer was flawed and narrow-minded as well. Well, he's not as narrow-minded as the majority of demons, otherwise he wouldn't be as capable as their leader. Only I can see the problems, and now… it's very clear, Lucifer is still bound to his role and depends on human belief to continue existing. But so do all the rest, angels, demons, even the mad creator god that neglects his most loyal followers, and humanity suffers under the wars they wage for dominance…

This whole existence is messed up; the Vortex worlds are a stark setting to witness that. I barely know a portion of it and yet it is still clear that something must be done. But is this the right way to go about doing something about that, or is it yet another bad choice? Futomimi said that he felt unnerved about love being absent from something central to everything. That could be.

Is Lucifer capable of love? He certainly knows enough about it to put me in this position. Some of it is the magatama's doctrine, but the way he's treated me… I know he was just saying whatever would get me to trust him back when he recovered me from Michael's first attempt to negate my existence. Even down to making me laugh with the break in his nose. That separation from my family was a nightmare. He was using the situation on the fly to use me, yet I still remember that fondly. While humans suffer in isolation, they need much more to feel free of that than demons. Demons like Lucifer only need belief to be fine. That imbalance puts him at an advantage, unless I can find some way to use his limitations against him.

To… what do I want out of this?

* * *

Isamu had thought that he'd had some bad run-ins with bullies before. They'd slashed the tires on his bike, embarrassed him in front of the whole school, and more. But all that seemed so small and insignificant. The bullies had nothing on Naoki now.

No, no, that wasn't Naoki. Naoki would never talk to him like that. That was the Demifiend, one who was a true demon. Maybe Naoki had died along with everyone else. Yeah, that would account for why he'd gone missing for so long, and all the things he'd said in Ikebukuro, and just now. Demifiend had stolen everything Naoki had known, even his identity, in order to harass Isamu.

He cursed while he tried to set up the area for the summoning of his god even faster than he had planned for. Hijiri was the last important bit he needed to get a hold of, now it was just tying things together. But just tying things together seemed like it would take forever. Even if it didn't, how could he be fast enough to finish? Naoki had delegated defeating the demons to his own instead of dealing with all them himself.

"He has good reasons for being in such a foul mood," Hijiri said.

"It doesn't matter," Isamu said, still working on it. He hated being pressured like this. Deadlines were bad enough, but this one could end in his death. "I don't care about him. I don't care about anybody. All that matters now is making sure Musubi wins."

Something shifted in the magatsuhi he was working into the right forms. "You will pay a steep price for taking your own path."

"Shut up, Aleph," he said, losing what patience he had. He yanked on the forms and forced them into place. "And stop struggling. Get back to your eternal damnation and let me do what I want."

"You might come to know the true weight of those words," he said. "If you're lucky, this will simply be the end of you."

With another yank, Hijiri was dropped into the magatsuhi rushing into this pyramid and consumed by it. Isamu didn't feel anything but more pressure to get his work done. All three of the demons had been defeated at roughly the same time. Demifiend only needed to consume those last three magatama and he would enter the height of his power. And if Isamu didn't get this done, he would be the first to face the brunt of that.

There was no time to check on how accurate this was. "Let the god of Musubi come forth!" he called. "From the depths of the Amala universe, one so isolated that he is the only one who can represent true solitude..." drat, there was one important thing missing: a name. This was a nameless god, as could be expected of one who had never contacted anyone before. "Let me name you Noah, as one who eternally drifts," Isamu said, trying to keep up his confidence. "No one else needs to know it. Let's build a world where each individual rules over everything they see."

A presence filled his mind. A vast emptiness, stars littering the distance of an inky void. Never before born, never before named. Drifting in complete isolation until one desired his presence enough to grant him a name. Too much here, too much going on. The emptiness of space, the aurora of echoes. Musubi… a Reason to become real.

Isamu knew then what true isolation was: utter emptiness.

That is what he became.

Wait… there's Creation. We're working towards the goal of Creation. We can do this. Just get out of here, now! We must remain safe until the road to Kagutsuchi appears and we can make Musubi a reality.

Noah cried out into this strange place of things, where space was not vast. It was the first sound he'd made. As something entered the place he was, he fled, uncertain of why. He had to brush against the mind of the one who called him to know that why. Fear, fear of losing existence.

Even a being of emptiness knew that losing existence was to be feared.

* * *

"What was that?" Naoki said as he went further into the inverted pyramid. Isamu had been here briefly, wrapped in a bloody bubble within… whatever had been here.

"That was an unborn god," Trumpeter explained. "Probably unnamed too, without purpose until that idiot brought it here. I can't believe he'd call on something like that for Creation. It won't be capable of understanding anything, much less guiding and protecting a fresh new world."

"It had a name, Noah," Naoki said. Despite a god being called here, there was still a dense amount of magatsuhi called here. It was focusing now on a pedestal in the center, one that looked like the Obelisk without the very top of it.

Isamu had gotten away, but Naoki was no longer angry about that. His mind was buzzing about other things, like why he hadn't gone back to Asakusa immediately after checking out Yoyogi Park. Maybe he could have saved them… it had been horrifying, seeing their remains which hardly looked human anymore. They hadn't done anything to deserve that.

But I can't let myself get wrapped up in that tragedy. I will avenge them. I will bring down Kagutsuchi for them. Don't worry, I am completely capable of doing so. And this place, this is where one would call the road to Kagutsuchi. It needs… the Yahirono Himorogi. I really shouldn't have left that with Yuko, now I have to track her down again.

Calming down, Naoki touched the pedestal. "Not much we can do here right now. It seems like Isamu sacrificed Hijiri to summon..."

Wait, Hijiri. If he just died here, his soul might be close by. Michael told me about his punishment, to know the entirety of the conflict between Law and Chaos. The Amala networks contains all the information about every world it's connected to. If anything…

He turned back to Michael. He'd let the Riders get back to whatever they wanted after they delivered Djed, but he'd kept the seraphs with him after they'd gotten him Gundari. They were desperate for the company and approval, after all. "Say, can you tell where the soul of Aleph is in all this?"

After a moment, Michael nodded. "Yes, he's unmistakable. He'll be drifting in the flow of magatsuhi until the time of Creation for this Vortex World."

Hijiri did help me. He helped me understand the kind of world I ended up in and enough about what I had become that I could start to adapt. But more than that, if I want to declare my intentions, what better way then this?

"Go fetch his soul for me and bring it here," Naoki ordered.

"Yes, my Lord," Michael said, then vanished into the red tides of magatsuhi. It didn't take him long to return with a soul that was tightly chained with a curse of hate. In spite of that, a long flickering tail trailed after it.

This soul is very different from the ghosts that are everywhere in the world now, and even from Chiaki not that long ago. It's… he's been acknowledged by the Great Will as a true Messiah, one who can change the fate of a world. That's an even better reason to do this; he doesn't deserve this suffering.

"Amaterasu, Wu Kong, Trumpeter," Naoki said, looking to them each in turn. "Would you please leave us for a few minutes? I don't know what exactly will occur of this, but it's safer if you're out of it."

"Are you sure of that?" Amaterasu asked.

"It's fine, we'll protect His manifestation," Raphael said.

"Yes, there's no way they'll let him come to harm if they can help it," Trumpeter said, drifting over and nudging her. "Sure, we'll see what happens."

"All right, but be careful, whatever it is you mean to accomplish," Amaterasu asked before heading out with the others.

Good. "You four," Naoki said seriously, looking Michael straight in the eyes. "Make him the avatar of the Amala Network."

"M-my Lord?" Michael asked, taken aback by the orders. He pulled Aleph's soul closer to his chest.

"But that would undo the curse You placed upon him," Gabriel said, thankfully confirming that. "He's ruined us before. If he gets access to all the knowledge within..."

"Can he really handle that as one who was once human?" Naoki asked, although he hoped the answer was yes. "Besides, no one will know of this but those of us who are here. I've made my decision. Carry it out."

"Yes, if that's what You wish, it will be done," Michael said. He turned to the other four; they seemed to be conversing with each other through telepathy since Naoki didn't hear anything of it. But he was sure they'd carry out his word.

The flow of magatushi changed, spiraling around the four seraphs as they started chanting. Michael held out the bright soul so that he floated in the center of them and became the point that the magatsuhi focused on. With that, the Network focused on the soul. The chains frayed, then broke. For a moment, Hijiri's ghostly form hovered there. It distorted, getting restored to how Aleph must have seen himself. While his outfit seemed odd to Naoki, he seemed like just another ordinary guy, no longer showing why he might be anything special.

Aleph grimaced and seemed to be in great pain. Just as Naoki was starting to feel bad about it, he calmed down. "I accept this role as the avatar of the Amala Network," Aleph said mechanically. His form relaxed now that it was relieved of its burden.

"It is done," Michael said, confirming it.

"Good," Naoki said, coming over to them.

"No," Aleph said in horror, then snapped his attention right on him. Naoki froze. Before he noticed him moving, Aleph had gotten behind him and was pulling him away from the seraphs. "Silence."

He barely had time to nod before an immense voice bore down on them with the crushing weight of eternity. Naoki couldn't make any sense of it other than it was painful despite a shield of magatsuhi suddenly around him and Aleph. In front of them, the seraphs screamed in terror as they took the full brunt of it. The contracts Naoki had with them were violently torn asunder.

Aleph stayed at his side. "Humans cannot take the voice of God unprotected without being utterly destroyed. That is why His angels speak for Him. You still have a human heart that could be crushed. Don't speak, I'm doing all I can to obscure your location from Him."

Naoki nodded again. Then this was what Lucifer wanted him to fight. Even with the powers his magatama gave him, it was going to be a difficult task. He was pretty sure he could take on Kagutsuchi, but this? This was difficult to comprehend. The humanoid forms of the seraphs were torn apart by writhing vines, to be replaced with unmoving faces and forms that really shouldn't be alive. They were then pulled forcefully out of the Vortex World.

But something remained, searching. There was nothing that could be seen or heard, but it could be felt. And then his demon senses… there wasn't any way he could describe this other than 'eternity', looking into a sky and knowing its depths were infinite. The true souls of demons and angels were fragments of this kind of power. This was his true enemy. But, what did he do against it?

Don't worry. I am not yet ready for this, but don't worry. I will become one who can end this. Still, there is someone I need to worry about more in the near future, or else I will never be capable.

When the presence of God left, the silence was welcome. Aleph finally let him go and dismissed the shield. "We should be fine for now."

"Thanks," Naoki said, still shaken by it. He needed to hold onto his confidence, though. He should face those outside while acting like nothing worrisome had happened here.

"Thank you for freeing my soul at last," Aleph said, turning to him. He smiled although he seemed worried still. "YHVH has grown aloof and silent, which is why His angels got so far astray that you could sway them into doing this. It's a miracle to me, but unfortunate that undoing my curse was the only thing that would get Him to act directly with them."

"I couldn't hate them once I saw how ecstatic they were to think He was paying attention to them," Naoki said. Something felt odd to finally acknowledge God like that, but he couldn't deny it now. "But that doesn't seem right."

"Something is very wrong with reality and has been for a long time," he said.

"What's the problem?" Since Aleph was the Network now, he should know better than anyone.

He looked aside at this, silent for a moment. "Knowledge does not equal understanding," he explained. "That is something that has always been a flaw with me. Michael told you a little about me." He shook his head. "I know everything now, but I do not understand it all. And I know," he put a hand to his cheek, "what may come of acting without understanding. I have the means to understand. It will simply take time."

"As much as what your punishment would have been anyhow?" Naoki said, disappointed in that.

"I don't think so," Aleph said. "I can operate outside of time now. Plus, this is something I want to do. It's no longer a burden." He moved closer and offered a hand. "Could we make a deal, Naoki? You already have immense power as the Demifiend and that will only grow as you master it. But you will not have the means to understand your situation entirely. You have to work around Lucifer, a master of deception and manipulation since the fall of angel and man, not to mention a fickle perfectionist you still need to gain the respect of.

"On the other hand, I can gain the understanding you need. However, I am limited in my existence now. I can no longer manifest physically, only as a spirit like this. Thus there is very little I can act upon myself. I would like you to act for me while I uncover just what has gone wrong with everything. Between the two of us, we should be capable of finding the real means of addressing that."

That was an immense task that was as daunting as challenging God. Or, maybe even more than that. However, Naoki felt like he could trust Aleph completely. After all, he had brought about a miracle for him. He nodded and shook Aleph's hand. "Sure, I'll be glad to work with you."

"Good. First of all, we need to focus on getting Lucifer to accept you not as he wants, but as we all need you to be."

"Then this whole Demifiend plan is flawed." He'd suspected it strongly from what the one supposed success had been like.

Aleph nodded. "As he imagines it, the Demifiend should be entirely capable of what he wants you for, to break the stalemate between Law and Chaos on a grand scale. The way he has combined your human strengths with the strengths of a demon, and then the way he is training you here with the other fiends, that should create an entirely unique force that will be unbound by either side. But he means to imbue you with a demon's heart to entirely weed out what he sees as human frailty."

"Doesn't that mean I would get a demon's willpower as well?" he asked. "One that is bound by the frame of my existence."

"Yes, that's something he can't realize on his own until too late. It would be a fault you could not overcome with the heart of a demon. Yet, you need his full blessing or else he will take away what he has already given you."

As bad as he got about reclaiming his magatama now, it would only be worse if they were taken away. Not to mention that the idea of Lucifer abandoning him like the others was more painful than the idea of letting his family's souls go. "Right."

Aleph closed his eyes for a moment. "Naoki, I will help you overcome that misfortune, no matter what happens. It would repay what you've done for me. But I'm starting to see how… yes. Go ahead and complete the kalpas if you wish to work with me. Time does not pass while you are in them and you have what you need to force Lucifer to bargain with you. When you do that, I will be there with you. But to do this, you must be willing to let go of your world and accept your role as the Demifiend. You still have the choice to return to being fully human and letting go of Lucifer, going back to an ordinary life. All you need for that is to retrieve the Yahirono Himorgi to call the road to Kagutsuchi and confront the Star of Creation. If you do that, I will be with you as well to ensure that you are also free."

"Do I still have the time to consider that before someone else calls on the road?" Naoki asked. "There's still something I can accomplish in the Vortex World, something I need to speak to Mido about. I can consider my choices doing that."

"There should be time for that," he said. "Isamu and Noah won't be capable of calling the road unless Hikawa falls completely, and Hikawa has yet to call upon his god. When he heard that Jiyuu and Yosuga had fallen, he started working towards that. His injuries will keep him from being able to complete that before you have time to complete Mido's task. Even then, he'd have to track down Yuko and Aradia." Aleph frowned at that. "Those two are moving erratically. It will take them a lot of time to reach this place, even if they get themselves together enough to come straight here. You should have time."

"Good, then I'll get right to that," Naoki said. "I'll see you again sometime."

"Yes, keep yourself safe," he said, then faded away to work within the Network.

When he got outside, Amaterasu and Wu Kong came over immediately. "Demi, you're all right," she said in relief. "We could tell something had happened, but weren't sure if it was safe."

"Sorry for not busting straight in there, but it didn't seem like something to mess with," Wu Kong said.

"It's better that you stayed out here," Naoki said. "I'm fine; I'm glad it didn't affect you guys out here." He smiled to them to assure them that things were fine. "Come on, we need to go to the cathedral. I've got big plans for what we'll be doing next."

"So what happened to the angels?" Wu Kong asked as they headed back to the entrance hall. Trumpeter followed after quietly, curious to know as well.

Acting like it was no big deal, he said, "I asked them to do something that got their God supremely pissed off at them. All I could do was hide, since I'm not ready for that confrontation yet. They shouldn't be coming back to this world any time soon."

"Wait, you came close to confronting the God of Law?" Amaterasu asked, shocked at it.

He nodded. "Yes. Damn lucky that I didn't. But now that I know what exactly I'm up against, well, that's why I have big plans now. I just wish I hadn't given the Himorogi to Yuko; that's going to become a major problem very quickly. For now, we'll accomplish what we can before she or Hikawa can make a move for this place."

"Heh, well we're on your side, never forget that," Wu Kong said, grinning at this.

"I won't," Naoki said. But even so, he had to wonder just how much Amaterasu was. He didn't want to doubt her, not with how long he'd been with her and her predecessors. Still, she wasn't happy about something and would surely confront him about it if given the chance.

* * *

Things were changing rapidly in the Vortex World. In contrast to the chaos outside, Hikawa was quietly sitting in a meeting room of the Diet Building, a serene silence surrounding him. He drank some tea as he read over the events happening elsewhere. Two Reasons were already struck down. Good. The one left was the ridiculous Musubi; it should not be difficult to quash when the time was right. His body still ached, but it seemed like he should get back into action.

But what exactly had gone on in the Amala Temple just now? He touched commands that should have replayed pseudo-video footage of the interior. He could see that Demifiend had somehow gained the four classic seraphs as minions. But while he had ordered them to do something, Hikawa couldn't read what that was. The footage broke down after that point as well, freezing in action. When he tried to force it to play, it turned to pure static.

"This could be a problem," Hikawa said. "But he was involved in getting rid of the other Reasons. Perhaps simply avoiding him from now on is best."

But that was greatly displeasing. He wanted everyone to know their place. Raw power didn't mean a thing against a strategic mind. If he was going to prove that, he needed to move swiftly. Demifiend was certainly one of immense raw power to conquer the seraphs.

"I have almost everything I need here now that my opposition is weak," he said, shifting his focus. "All I need is the Yahirono Himorogi and victory is in my reach."

And that artifact… where was it… it was in the hands of Yuko and the mockery of a goddess that she had called.

"Well isn't this convenient," Hikawa said, smiling at his good luck. "Why don't you two come here? Let me extend an invitation, even."

He whistled for one of the lesser demons he contracted here and sent them off with the message.


	36. A Sacred Place

"Welcome, Demifiend," Mido said as he entered the cathedral. He was trying to contain his excitement. "You've accomplished a lot recently."

"Yes, but I'm here about the magatama," Naoki said. "I've found all of them. It's all going a lot smoother with them at hand."

"Good, we were hoping for that," he said, taking something out of storage. It appeared to come from the inside of his robes although there was no way a katana that large could fit under there. "We would like for you to return this sword to its owner, Masakado Taira. The destruction of the world came so suddenly that it blinded everyone in the world save for the two who conspired to carry it out. Thus, this may not accomplish much now, but you should listen to your city's guardian about what has gone on."

"Masakado," he said to himself, accepting the katana. Even with the situation he was in, this was nearly unbelievable. He'd always enjoyed tales of that hero in school and now he had a chance to meet him? But, what would he think of what was going on? "All right, I'll do that. Where is he?"

"His grave has appeared near the Obelisk," Mido explained. "On a cliff overlooking it. You should have no difficulties reaching it, but expect to be challenged for the right to speak with him."

"That's fine," Naoki said. "Thank you, I'll head right out for that."

"Good, but could I ask you for a small favor?" Mido asked. "On my behalf. You see, I've been keeping tabs on what you and Hikawa have been doing, as part of my studies into demonology and fusion. So I've noticed that you've recently had a contract with four seraphs, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel."

"Yes, but they were taken forcibly from me," he said.

That didn't dampen the minister's enthusiasm at all. "That's unfortunate, but since you have done that, you have a unique opportunity that I've not seen come about in this manner. I know we were talking about how to acquire a contract with Anubis for you, but this could be far greater than that. There is an angel known as the Voice of God. We know that he operates under the God of Law's direct command, but it is rare that he is sent into a conflict like this himself."

"Are you talking about Metatron?" Naoki asked, having gotten a tip from his magatama. They spoke with one voice now. Actually, he and them spoke with one voice now.

"Exactly. Even if he is an extraordinary angel, he is still basically a demon like all the rest. Therefore, it is entirely possible to fuse Metatron and claim a contract with him. At least, his shade. In this case, it may actually be impossible to make a contract with Metatron himself. But it would take an extraordinary summoner to call upon one of his shades, one like yourself, actually. I could assist you with that if you wish. Just take heed that it will be quite costly since your contracts with the four seraphs was forcibly broken."

"Not right now, but I'll think about it," he said. Contracting a shade of Metatron… he didn't want to think about attempting a contract with the original Metatron even if he had grown far stronger than when he last encountered the angel. He might be wary of the trickery that Michael had fallen to. But such a shade had to be powerful as well, and it would be a good little mockery to keep around.

But for now, taking care of this meeting with Masakado. He left the cathedral through the entrance in Ikebukuro; it was close to the terminal and Naoki didn't want to return to Asakusa if he could help it. There wasn't a main terminal in the Obelisk, but he knew there was one near it. He transported his group there, to an abandoned Nihilo building that must have connected to the ones in Ginza. The grave should be somewhere out here, on a cliff overlooking the Obelisk. Then…

Looking around, there was only one place matching that description. A few other cliffs and rises could be seen, but this one was next to the remnants of this town, with its edges right at the basin the Obelisk sat in. Traveling around the base brought them to a slope that could be climbed to the top of it. While a number of demons out here watched them, only the angels dared to fight them. As Naoki was now, these angels of the Divine clan were little threat.

"Naoki, what are you going to do about Lucifer?" Amaterasu asked, not able to hold herself back anymore.

Trumpeter had left them at some point, probably not seeing a reason to continue following directly after them. "I haven't fully decided that," Naoki said. "There's a lot of things to consider. But I have some options that I didn't have before. I've been thinking it all over."

"I don't think you can bring that one guy's Reason to Kagutsuchi," Wu Kong said. "If that Heavenstone is proof that the girl's Reason of Yosuga was validated, he had nothing like that."

"I know," Naoki said. "Futomimi would have been able to force it if he got to Kagutsuchi in person, but he had no god as far as I know and barely got his Reason named. Even then, we had to discuss it to get it to be reasonable. If I tried, it wouldn't come out the same, plus the lack of even a false god might not work out. The future I saw involving Aradia, weak as she is and with an unnamed Reason, was pretty bad."

"The remaining two Reasons seem sucky too, from what I've seen," Wu Kong said.

"I agree on that," Amaterasu said. "I wouldn't want to see Shijima or Musubi become successful. But then, Lucifer means to have you fight Kagutsuchi, right? This world is in a stage between death and birth. If you kill the one with the power of Creation, what's going to happen to your world?"

"I have another choice," Naoki said, not wanting to argue that point right now. It was true: Lucifer would have him destroy his world entirely. But if it got rid of the real problem here in the Amala Universe, the being that allowed his world to die and get dragged here in the first place, it could be… was it worth it?

"What's that?" she asked, hopeful for something.

"If I really push for it, I could simply restore the world to like it was before Conception," he explained. "But, not entirely. My world was very mundane, without demons or angels. If I restore it now, that will change. You demons and all will be able to slip into the world and change its character. Of course, that will bring the angels there, which will trigger a war between sides. It will keep the terminals as well, which will keep it connected to Amala and hang the possibility of Conception happening again over our heads."

"That's not so bad," Wu Kong said. "You humans adapt well to changes around you."

Naoki shook his head. "Perhaps, but I liked it how it was. I would miss having demons around. Still, we had enough problems being without them. There's also the fact that," how did he say this? Especially without making Amaterasu upset. "The connection I have to Lucifer would not be severed entirely by restoring the world. Angels could use that to find me. Actually, you guys could probably find me because of that even if we didn't have contracts between us. In order to not trigger a cosmic war because of my presence, I'd have to wipe my heart clean, of all relationships I have."

"But that's horrible," Amaterasu said. "You'd lose so many of your emotions doing that."

"If that's what it takes to keep the world safe enough that we can adapt to demons being normal," he said, "I know I'd do it. Aradia said that I'd lose everything I loved back at the Obelisk. And that's true, I realized. Now it's a matter of what good I can do and what I'm willing to sacrifice for it."

"You didn't even have a choice in becoming the Demifiend," she said, thinking it over. "Why should you be the one to sacrifice something so dear to you?"

"Hey, at least he's trying to make the best of it that he can," Wu Kong said. "He's made himself powerful enough to make his own choices at this point rather than just going along with things. Demi, as long as you stick by your decisions and don't regret them, I'm sure you'll turn out just fine whatever the cost."

"Thanks, Wu Kong," he said.

Amaterasu wasn't entirely satisfied with this. But given who they were visiting, she still had hope for him. Naoki was trying to figure out how to handle this meeting himself. Would Masakado even listen to someone like himself, or did he have his own agenda in this?

At the top of the cliff, the monument that served as Masakado's grave had survived. There were a few flowers left, dried up in being left out in the sands. It seemed like even demons respected this place as it was even quieter up here. As Naoki approached with the sheathed katana in hand, the weapon let off a bright glow and transported them to a whole different space. It was like the fiend's battlefield, but overtaken by a large stone temple standing on four pillars.

The entrance was raised so that they couldn't enter the temple as it was. It seemed that the pillars would need to be lowered in order to do what they came to do. Down in the pit before them, there was a number of winding paths and teleport panels. Strong demons patrolled around; stone statues of the Heavenly Kings were standing before the two pillars closest to them. Presumably the other two Kings were at the other two pillars. And the demons here… a shaggy Barong walked back and forth on a path just below, another shade of Yagatarasu was perched on a small pillar keeping an eye on him… these were sacred beasts or beings. There didn't seem to be any angels among them.

"This is like the Kalpas, but it's a sacred place," Naoki thought aloud.

"That's the kind of respect Masakado earned even though he began life as a human," Amaterasu said, happy with pride.

"Yeah, but too bad you can't fly anymore," Wu Kong said, hovering around to Naoki's other side. "If you could, this would be a cakewalk."

"Well we don't want things too easy now," he said, smiling at the idea.

He laughed at that. "Right! Lead the way then."

* * *

The road to Kagutsuchi wasn't even up, but people and factions were dropping like flies. Hikawa didn't have to do anything to help that along. Snapping his fingers, he came up with the word he wanted. "It's unfulfilling, that's what it is," he told Samael as they passed through the long halls. "People tried to stop Conception when it was too late; that made it enjoyable to win. At this point, I could win simply for being the sole remaining Reason bearer when I've not been able to do anything since losing control of the Nightmare System."

"You set yourself up so there was little chance you could fail," Samael said.

He nodded. "True, that did work as intended. But this is why I don't like strategy games once I've mastered them. All the excitement is in the set-up, and then finishing it off becomes a bore."

"You've not won yet even if the path seems clear."

"Yes, but now it's just avoiding Demifiend as long as possible. Hmph, if I'm going to be playing cat and mouse, I'd rather not be the mouse like this. There is that fool with Musubi; he could be fun to toy with." Maybe if he got the road up and distracted Demifiend with Noah, that could fix this lacking. Then it'd feel like he fully earned the win.

While he was thinking and walking, Samael floated ahead to listen to something. Then he slowed in front of him. "Hikawa, listen carefully."

"Hmm?" He paused and did as asked. There was a mechanical sound moving around in another hall, quick and potentially loud. "Almost sounds like a jet engine. What is that?"

"I'm not sure, but it comes fast," Samael said, moving to defend him.

In seconds, there was a demon that somehow was a hybrid between man and jet plane hovering just feet from them. From the dark presence that accompanied the strange being, it was a Fiend. "Halt, you… Anti-Messiah!" It kicked its feet at nothing.

"Excuse me?" Hikawa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You are the antithesis of all that is good in either Chaos or Law," the fiend declared. "You are the stone that causes ripples of conspiracies with every step you take, warping the world into a wreck that crumbles and rusts out in the wild fields of creation so that rats infest the body and ruin even more until there's nothing left to restore even by the most unnaturally or naturally talented of mechanics out there. And everybody hates rats, so I told everybody else to scoot on out of here. You are all aloooooooone in the world, Anti-Messiah, ha hah!"

At the mention of conspiracies, Hikawa automatically shut out the fiend's ramblings. Conspiracies were useful tools, but the believers weren't worth wasting breath on most of the time. "Fine by me," he said.

"You're gonna lose!" the fiend sang, then dashed off again. Sickly looking smoke got left behind, growing into a venomous fog.

"That was strange," Samael said, his tail twitching. "Should we be cautious?"

"I don't think so," Hikawa said. "Unless that fiend gets in our way, it seems too childish to accomplish anything of worth. We can deal with the exhaust if it turns out venomous."

But as they continued on, something became clear: all demons aside from Samael and the strange fiend had indeed abandoned the Diet Building.

* * *

Now that the four heavenly kings were defeated, the pillars began lowering into the ground, kicking up dust as they did. Naoki wound his way back up the ramps and teleporters to get to the upper paths again, heading to the sole entrance to the temple. The interior held many wall scrolls and rolled up scrolls; a glance at a few showed they talked about history, tactics of war, and philosophy. In the center of the room, there was a man in regal clothes; he could have been an ancient emperor.

"Hello, Masakado," Amaterasu said with a smile, going over to sit near him.

He nodded to her greeting, "Hello, Amaterasu," then he looked over at her. "Why do you look like a man this time?"

She laughed. "I have some silly spirits in my lineage. But I'm just along for the ride now; my summoner's the one who wanted to meet you."

"Hello, Lord Masakado," Naoki said, feeling it appropriate. He offered the katana as well. "I was told to return this to you."

He nodded and accepted it. "Thank you. Although, there is little I can do about Tokyo's situation at this time. There's really only one human left in this world, the one who led to the world's destruction in the first place. The others were transformed like yourself or are controlled by gods not of this land. As I am, my power is derived from the people of Tokyo."

"I see," he said.

"So then, why have you come out of your way to meet with me?" Masakado asked, testing him.

In truth, it was because of hints from his failed predecessors that Masakado had something to offer him, something that could be vital. But he felt like that wasn't going to be the right thing to say. Naoki shrugged. "Just because, I guess. I did need some time to consider things, and your guardians out there did make for a good fight."

"Then you came out here for sport?" Masakado chuckled at that. "I don't sense cruelty in your use of power, that's good. Have you been able to make a decision?"

"I'm still looking into a few things," he said.

"You can go ahead and tell him about what's going on, Demi," Amaterasu said. "It'll be fine."

"Do you mind?" Naoki asked.

He shook his head. "Go ahead, what's troubling you?"

In explaining his situation, Naoki could figure out a few things himself. Restoring the world was a tempting option. But the things he'd have to sacrifice for it, from the personal to the world-affecting, could do more harm than good. He had parted peacefully with his family; it might not be so bad to let that be the last contact with them when the alternative was returning to them thinking that they were strangers. Not only that, but Lucifer would simply take the magatama back and move on to another world to find his Demifiend. It already irked him to think someone else would have them. Plus, whoever that was was going to have an even worse time than him given what he'd done to the seraphs.

But some of that didn't feel entirely right to say to Masakado. It definitely turn the old hero against him. "I've already lost some options that I liked. And whatever I do, I'm going to lose something. In the same way, the world I return to will not be the one I left. I don't think any option I have left is ideal in any manner."

"It will end up that your choice will decide the fate of the world," Masakado said.

"Yeah," he said. He was the unofficial judge of Reasons.

"I myself would prefer the world be restored, but it does place heavy burdens on you," he said. "I can sense that you're already considered a cursed person."

Then someone else entered the area, the ghostly presence of Aleph. "Masakado, we can't simply think of Tokyo's future in this situation."

Surprised at his arrival, Masakado addressed him with great respect. "Ah, Aleph, you've escaped."

Aleph nodded. "It's due to his intervention that I did, as escape was beyond me alone. He's working with me now."

"Is that so?" Masakado looked back to Naoki with a different level of respect. "But what do you mean by we can't think of Tokyo's future?"

"If we simply consider this Tokyo's fate, restoration is marginally the better choice," Aleph said. "But it will be dragged headlong into the conflict of Law and Chaos if it is restored. However, we must consider that we are currently within the Amala universe. This is a place that gives an easy excuse to kill entire worlds. It is true that we would need to accept the sacrifice of this Tokyo and this world, both of which are already dead. But in doing so, we can end Kagutsuchi's games and stop countless other worlds from going through needless deaths and rebirths."

"Right, it's become a matter of choosing what's good for this world or what's good for all worlds," Naoki said. "I know I'm bound to end up cursed one way or another, if I'm not already. And I'll have to sacrifice something personal as well. But then, I know I can adapt to what changes must be made. I've already managed to adapt to being what I am currently."

"But choosing to stop Kagutsuchi's control over Amala means working with Lucifer," Masakado said. "He cannot be trusted in the least."

Naoki had to bite his lip to keep from saying something reflexively to that. Fortunately, Aleph was quick to respond. "Yes, Lucifer is not trustworthy. Except, there is a way for Naoki here to change that. We're working together now since he needs guidance and I need someone who can do things within the physical realms. And Lucifer is determined to get his plan with the Demifiend working. He needs Naoki at this point. With that and other facts, I have a plan that, if it works, will give us the means to better keep the deeper corruptions of the universe in check. In other words, we can't trust Lucifer now, but it is possible that we can change Lucifer and make him someone we can trust. Naoki is key to that, if he's willing to make the sacrifices necessary and take the greater risk of this not working as planned."

"How are you going to do that?" Masakado asked.

Aleph shook his head. "I'm sorry, but due to the nature of what must be done, it is something I will only share with Naoki when he is certain of his decision. Masakado, please trust us. It may not seem like it, but he is one like myself."

"I can tell that," Masakado said. "Naoki, it seems your actions have consequences beyond yourself. You have power beyond what humans can normally attain, power that could easily corrupt you. Do you swear that you will keep the well-being of others in mind, not matter which path you choose?"

"Yes, I swear that," he said.

"Good, then here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out something familiar: a white bug with long pincers… another magatama? "As I said before, there is little I can do with Tokyo in this state. But I can grant you a portion of my power as you are willing to use it for the sake of others."

His power? Even with all that Naoki had been through, this was mystifying. "Thank you, it's a great honor." He took the magatama; there was a sense to it that was like his own, but it didn't cause the maddening need to acquire it. It even tapped at his hand harmlessly, not trying to connect in any manner it can. He swallowed it to see what would happen.

At first, nothing did. Masakado replied to him, "It is the last I can do for you. Once you leave this place, my connection to this world will fade until the moment of creation or destruction. Whatever happens to you, I hope that you can retain your humanity."

They parted shortly after that, Aleph going back to his studies. In coming out of the temple, Naoki checked again and saw what the new magatama, Masakados, had done for him. It had gone through all of the other powers he had and made a large amount of the passives into permanent abilities. With that, he did not have to keep Iyomante in the fore to nullify sleep enchantments. He would always nullify sleep enchantments. That went for other ailments, and instant death from Hama and Mudo, and elemental magics, and physical skills… in fact, if he shifted Masakados to the fore instead, he got an immense boost in his native powers and about the only thing that could touch him was almighty attacks.

Naoki put his hands to his face. "What… this is only a portion of his power?"

"Is it a lot?" Wu Kong asked.

"I am more invincible than you, for one thing," he said.

He made a face at that. "What? No way! Nobody matches Wu Kong, much less surpasses me."

"I do, you'd better accept it," Naoki said jokingly.

"Oh yeah? Lemme see about that." Wu Kong then thrust his arm towards Naoki's stomach. He blocked, feeling some of the power behind it but not getting hurt at all. After taking or avoiding several more attacks from his follower, Naoki then punched back knowing that he could not hurt Wu Kong either. But he should notice the power behind it. Nearby, Amaterasu kept out of the way and laughed at them tussling like this.

"How's that?" Naoki asked.

"Whoa, you have gotten way better just with that bug," he said, impressed. "Then you've really got nothing to worry about now, boss, you just do whatever you feel is right. But then, I've been thinking myself about what to do. The heavenly kings here are beefy, you know, the pinnacle of fighting men."

"Right, they were good sports on top of that," he said.

Wu Kong nodded. "So I was thinking, maybe I ought to stay around here to continue my training. You helped me well beyond what I could have accomplished alone, like any great summoner should be able to do for a demon. But I need to strike out on my own eventually and prove I can keep this. And one day, I'm gonna track down the original Wu Kong and show him just what a shade can accomplish. You think I could beat him?"

"Sure, why not?" Naoki said. The original would be more powerful, but there were ways around that kind of disparity.

He grinned at that. "I will, and then I'll come track you down to tell you the tale of it! So, you mind if we split ways here?"

"No, if that's what you want, you go on and work to beat your original," he said, offering a handshake. "I release you from our contract, Wu Kong, it's been a pleasure to work with you."

He accepted the handshake eagerly. "I release you from our contract, Demifiend, same to you. Just don't you ever forget me; I won't forget you."

"I certainly won't forget," he said, waving to him as he jumped back down into the pit to find the heavenly kings. Naoki then looked over at Amaterasu. "It seems like it's down to you and me now, since the fiends don't like sticking around."

She smiled at him. "Yes, but we'll be just fine. Naoki..."

Odd, she'd not used his human name ever. He raised an eyebrow at that. "Yes?"

"I know a lot's happened to you recently, but I hope you're able to think through calmly what would be best for everyone, not just yourself," she said.

Was she still dissatisfied with things? "At this point, there might not be a best solution for everyone," he said. "People have already lost, even when they didn't deserve it. Maybe I can make for a situation where better solutions can be found."

"That might be," she said, worried. "Sorry, Demi, it must be a tough decision. It's tough enough trying to figure out how to support you through this."

And it was tough knowing how he should respond to her, even with his magatama being one with him now. He smiled, though, and patted her arm. "Hey, I'm just glad you're still with with me. Your loyalty is a boon to me; you've always been by my side since you found me clueless and lost in the hospital."

"Of course, I'm not about to abandon you any time soon," she said, seeming happier. "Then, where to now?"

"The labyrinth," he said. "It's about time I finish off what Kalpas I can."

"Ah," she said, although that proved she still had her doubts.


	37. Third Kalpa - Visitors from Other Worlds

I did get caught up in that strange journal, but that incident in Ginza has forced me to pay more attention to what he is doing. Not that I mind; it would be remiss if I missed out on witnessing these events. This should be it, finally. He is what I've been expecting, and even what I have not expected. I don't even care that he got the Star Key early. Tricking angels, already defeating one of the gods: I shall have my Demifiend at last.

Still, there are a few things to smooth over. "He's lost faith in his teacher," I say, looking to the puppet servant with me. "You would be a detriment now."

She is nothing but a puppet. I have her bow before she fades entirely. Some little things are better done than not, even if I am the only witness. As for this puppet, a wheelchair-bound old man… well, it is my puppet. I can do with it what I like. This stage is now set, a charming little parlor made for relaxing socialization. Naoki might not know the stage directions, but I'm sure he'll follow them all the same.

He is in the other room now, lighting the candelabrum of Insight, Wisdom, and Compassion after setting them in place. The Third Kalpa is lit now. He may compromise the tests and lessons contained there by being more powerful than expected, but we shall see what he does. Once the door unlocks, he and his sole follower enter. "You're here?" Naoki asks, puzzled and a bit wary. The goddess with him is even more wary.

"Should I not be?" I jest with him, waving him inside. "You've seen through a number of my tricks already, by accident or by your own wits. It seems fruitless to continue with such games. But come now. I've agreed to let you learn of some things when you reach these places and I intend to keep my word."

"I see," Naoki says, then glances around. As I have my wheelchair, I've only called on one chair for this particular location. He looks to his follower with some chivalrous intent of allowing the lady to have the one seat.

That's not necessary. "You've also accomplished some great things recently," I tell him, distracting him from the courtesy. "You do me proud, and I feel you should be rewarded. Amaterasu."

"Yes?" she asks, unsure of why she's being called upon and uneasy with it.

And that's the problem. Like the manikin prophet, she would sway my Demifiend from choosing my side. This is much more easily corrected, in a way that won't seem against Naoki. "A loyal demon is one to treasure. You have a powerful form now, but I feel there is something more fitting that you could be."

Before she can object, I snap my fingers. An energy like demon evolution surrounds her, but there are few who can accomplish this kind of transformation of another. She needs to become something with no qualms with me, and someone who will have complete faith in Naoki to continue supporting him loyally, whatever he chooses. I've decided on the form she first met him in, Pixie, but as one that is far more than any other pixie could dream of being.

"Oh?" She spins around in the air, familiarizing herself again with the motions of a tiny body. "Hey, I'm back to a pixie again!"

"I don't think normal pixies end up more powerful than someone like Amaterasu," Naoki says, impressed at that. "Actually, I'm glad to have you back."

"What're you talking about? I've always been by your side." Pixie giggles, then puts her hands behind her back. "Well okay, I guess I still have to do the thing. I am Pixie of the Fairy clan, treat me gently, okay?"

Once they take a seat, Pixie on his shoulder, I decide to go on with the lesson. "I have heard that you wanted to learn more about Aradia. Are you still interested in that?"

He nods. "Yes, people have been calling her a false god, and then there's that unborn god Isamu called. Beings like that seem like they shouldn't exist."

"In a normal realm, they indeed shouldn't exist. But this is the Amala universe, where many possibilities converge and gods are frequently called upon. The chance to regain full divinity, or even just acceptance and believers, that is enough to draw many gods to this birthplace of worlds. What they don't realize is that this influence they are offered is an empty promise that may only be held for a generation of humanity, which is hardly any time to a god.

"As for Aradia specifically," I tap my cane against my hand, another small gesture that should be familiar to him. "This is a story from a world where magic existed, but was believed to be formed only from evil intentions. A society of witches managed to thrive for several generations, but in time was uncovered by zealots who wished to eradicate all traces of magic from the world. The witches were hunted down and persecuted without mercy, no consideration for how they actually used their powers. As the gods of that world failed them, the witches began to pray for a new god to come to their aide with the last of their hopes. From those prayers, Aradia was born and the hope of the witches was restored.

"However, it was already too late. The last circle of witches fell in a deadly raid. Those who escaped were rounded up and burned alive in public view to enforce the beliefs of the zealots. Aradia had barely awakened as a goddess when she lost all of her believers. Perhaps worse than that, belief in her had not escaped the circle of witches. She was not even turned into a demon like other fallen gods. She became one of the lost.

"When Conception occurred, Aradia was still present enough to manifest in that Vortex World. She tried to persuade the Reason bearers there to call on her. They did not listen. For you see, Aradia had so little power that all she could grant was hope. She has no ability to fulfill hope, not even small hopes. She was left behind here in Amala, to slowly go mad like many of the other false gods who were cast aside like herself. Only those blinded by desperation would call on her, as most humans can realize how little she is capable of. I only know this tale because she has been particularly driven to become real."

And even though false gods have their uses, I don't believe Aradia will ever really become anything. She knows she is meant to save people, but her lack of experiences means she has absolutely no foresight, nor any understanding of humanity. She's said some cutting and seemingly insightful things, but she doesn't understand what she's saying most of the time. If anything, she'd end up filling a role like Chemtrail, only Chemtrail knows that he's fueled by misinformation. She has no such awareness and thus has no use to me.

If Naoki had been told this earlier, I know he would have balked at the idea that his teacher was so flawed. But he's realized that himself. "I see. Then what about unborn gods like Noah?"

"They also exist because of the peculiarities of Amala," I tell him. "Recall that I said Aradia brought hope to a circle of witches. These witches prayed to her, discussed her, and shared belief in her. That is how she was born. But let's say someone has a strong belief in something and never shares it. They believe some being gives them greater luck, or is watching over them and helping them succeed. If they're fervent enough, they may even make something that centers their worship: an altar, an idol, something. But as long as they don't speak of their beliefs to others, the being is not real outside of their mind."

"But they might believe it's a more commonly known god or being," he says.

I nod to that. "Yes, that's what happens in most cases. But sometimes, you get a circumstance where that isn't how things go. The unrealized being has all the trappings of a god, with a believer, an object of worship, even rituals. Once that believer dies, however, they are immediately lost. Some of them don't even get a name, such as Noah itself. Isamu was the one who named that one, but it is still an unborn god until it gains another follower, when beliefs and information are shared among humans. As such, its powers are ill-formed and subject to change at the speed of thought. This also means that any world using an unborn god for Creation will have unstable foundations even as it becomes real."

"Isamu's world didn't seem stable in the first place, what with everyone being separated," Naoki says. "It was just bubbles, like sea foam."

"It's one of the laziest Reasons I've ever seen, even accounting for those that want restoration," I say. "It'd hardly be worth taking over as it would be so simple. The Reasons this time around aren't very appealing, not even Yosuga. While I can agree to the general principle, the way it wholeheartedly agreed to the terms of angels mean that the world born of that Reason would be entirely under my enemy's thumb." There is something else that must be said, for his sake. "Although, that one, Jiyuu, it did have promise. There was genuine thought and selflessness behind it."

"It should have been given a better chance to prove itself," he says, accepting my statement as it is. Good, as things should be between us. "But that is proof that this whole game of Creation is rigged even though it gives every appearance that it isn't."

"Yes. He was even given a servant of Kagutsuchi for protection, but one that had already failed in that regards." Since he is insightful, I should also tell him a little something he missed. "I actually gave Futomimi a chance to summon me for assistance, although I would be incapable of supporting a Reason. He chose not to take it. That was when you were negotiating with Michael, so my attention was more with you."

"Are you angry with me for that?" he asks.

I smile at that and shake my head. "Not any more. You pulled off your plan admirably. It was foolish given that your very soul was in danger. But then, what you got out of it, the temporary service of those four seraphs and the freedom of your family's souls, that was well worth it. I commend you for your success." I put my hand to my chin. "That should do for now. Complete the Third Kalpa and we will speak again."

"All right. But first, what rules does the Third Kalpa have?"

It's good that he brought that up. "Ah, well plans have changed. You see, recently four powerful demons who back Shijima have come down here from your Vortex World. Chemtrail, of all people, convinced them that this was a good place to ambush you if they were going to support Hikawa best. For that foolishness, I abolished the rules of the Third Kalpa and let them use it. All rules, even that against new contracts. Though, you may have difficulty finding those that have heard of this."

"So you took their plans as a joke?" he asks, smiling at it.

I have to laugh at that. "Well, yes. Looking at you and Pixie now, I really don't think they stand a chance." While I was concerned when he went to meet with Masakado, he came out far better for doing so. This is a boost of power that he should not have acquired for a long time. It's going to be a lot of fun; it's almost a pity I'm keeping to an inactive mentoring role right now. "Go on, prove to them why you are the Demifiend."

"Sure, I'll do just that," he says, not held back by much now.

My victory is close at hand.

* * *

At first glance, the Third Kalpa had some similarities to the First. There were square halls of what seemed like a wooden building, in a more sensible layout than the Second. There were furnishings scattered about, vases, tables, chairs, and similar things. But looking at the wall, one could see dark veins running through them, beating subtly in the rhythm of a heart. Faint lines formed images that reminded him of science textbook illustrations of cell structure. While the furniture was normal, the pieces were more worn down, some damage to be seen in scratches and cracks. There was also the scent and feeling of being something alive. Although, now he was fairly certain it was the energy of the magatsuhi he was sensing that way.

"Off on another adventure," Pixie suddenly sang out, flying off slightly ahead of him. "Down in the depths, what will we find?"

Naoki chuckled at that. "You inherited Hua Po's dream?"

"Yeee-sss~!" she sang cheerily. "Tee hee, everything seemed so serious before that I put it aside. But he's right, we are powerful now, so we can afford to be sillier. Right?"

"For now," he said. This could be fun, especially considering some fellows that he was sensing nearby. "I think we have some friends ahead too. I don't know who Hikawa was allying with, but I'm sure it wasn't them."

"Ooo, who is it?" She looked around, so he pointed out the hall they needed to take to meet with them.

Around a turn, they entered a large room with a ladder in the center and three doors with golden faces. Near the ladder, there was a pair of the jack fairies. Black Frost was a great deal smaller than before, maybe even smaller than a normal jack frost. But he still retained his dark presence and colors. "He's a pompous jerk, that's what he is. He'll be-heeat you up for no reason!"

The other jack was wearing strange sci-fi-esque armor, complete with a little matching machine gun. It meant that unless the four Shijima demons knew Almighty skills, this one could be more dangerous to Naoki. "You be-heeat people up too," he said, his voice altered by the armor.

"Well I usually have a hee ho reason for that," Black Frost said. "And you do too."

"I'm a demon hunter, ho, of course I do." Then he aimed his gun at the two of them approaching. "Like these guys!"

Black Frost glanced at them, then hastily shoved the other to the floor. "Hee ho, waaaait!"

"Why?" The armored jack grabbed his gun, still ready for a fight.

"You doofus, that's the Demifiend!" Black Frost then spun around and saluted them. "Hee ho hello Demi!"

"Hello Heeho," Naoki said, waving to them. If Black Frost was going to greet him in a friendly way even after their battle, he'd do the same. "How're you doing?"

"Ho, I'm doing great!" he said. "But, don't be asking why I'm suddenly smaller or anything. While that heelicious magatama made me a lot stronger, I feel more clear-headed without it, ho. No more creepy buzzing in my head. How do you stand all that with so many of them?"

"Their voices are clear to me," Naoki said. "I have all of them now, so their thoughts are my own. Who's this guy?"

"This is Demonee-Ho, one of us who became a legendary demon on another world," Black Frost said.

Demonee-Ho had gotten back to his feet now. "Wait, I heard of you, Demifiend. You were a human who was given demonic sources of power which should have driven any ordinary human insane. But you've mastered them?"

"I'm still working on that," he admitted. "We are working in union."

"Well that's far better than you should be," he said, giving a nod of respect. "And you have a mission down here? It is bad manners to interrupt another on a mission, ho, so I can leave you be."

"Hey, hey, but maybe all of you can work with me?" Black Frost said. "I'm on a mission too, ho! To defeat Frost Ace!"

"He's a superhero," Demonee-Ho said.

Black Frost waved his arms. "And a demon too, don't forget that! We're all demons here! And I'm gonna be the most hee-evil demon ever, so I've got to beat up Frost Ace!"

"Where is this Frost Ace?" Naoki asked.

"Um, I dunno!" Black Frost said. "But I know I saw him lurking around here! It's just these doors; there's so many of them around, leading to twisting halls and small rooms, and they all test your innate powers. I can pass some of them, but I got lost and found one I couldn't pass. It warped me to a dark place and I had to fight my way back here to the beginning."

"Did he go downstairs?" Naoki asked, pointing to the ladder out in the open.

"Not that way," Demonee-Ho said. "I just came up from there; it's a dead-end due to one-way doors in the lower maze. And there's most of these face doors down there too, along with a group of powerful demons. I think they're hunting you."

Nodding, he said, "I was warned about them. Who's down there?"

The armored jack tapped his chin. "I know-ho that I saw Surt down there, definitely. Not sure of the others."

"And you just left him down there?" Black Frost asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "Sheesh, what kinda hee-hick demon hunter are you? He'd freeze easy and quake before our magic!"

"I'm not after hee-easy targets," Demonee-Ho said. "I'm looking for a challenge to match my heero!"

"Frost Ace would be a challenge!"

This could go on for some time. Since he could make contracts down here, Naoki said, "I have to get through three more Kalpas to complete the challenge that's been given to me. There's going to be a lot of powerful demons for certain out to fight me, so some of them might unwisely shrug you guys off."

"Hoooo, you got that right!" Black Frost said. "They shouldn't ignore us!"

"So why don't both of you tag along with me and we'll face these challenges together?" he said. "The rules have been altered, so we can make contracts here in the labyrinth."

Black Frost bounced and saluted. "Hee ho, h'of course, Demi! We're still friends, right? And you did help me get this powerful."

"Sure, I still consider you a friend," Naoki said. As long as he didn't have ambitions to steal the magatama back, even if it would be impossible now. The two of them then shook hands on a contract.

Meanwhile, Demonee-Ho had been thinking. "Well, my heero did go around with a group," he said. "H'okay, I'll come along too! And, there's another demon hunter demon around this level here that we can look for too! Hee's a fun guy and if he realizes his next big target is after you, he should agree-hee to travel with us too. You'll know him from his cool hat!"

"All right," Naoki said, then also shook hands with him over a contract. "So these doors are going to test our power?"

"Sort of, you just let them scan you," Black Frost said.

The door thought Naoki's strength was worthy of praise, so they were all allowed through. It seemed the doors didn't care about a group as long as at least one of them had the power it wanted to see. Occasionally, there were doors that insisted on measuring a demon's power. Naoki couldn't pass those, but he could judge which of his three companions was most likely to satisfy the door. Black Frost was powerful magically, while Demonee-Ho was all about physical power and defense. And then Pixie somehow had an absurd amount of luck in case the doors wanted that.

In one of the winding halls where they had a choice between a ladder down and another gold-face door, the sound of gunfire caused Naoki to step back into the short hall they'd emerged from. Demonee-Ho went ahead; his armor would keep him safe. "Hooooo there, fellow!"

"Oh, hooo there fellow!" another voice called back. Another jack came over. Not only did he have a cool black hat, but he also had a suit and cape to match, giving him a very dapper appearance. "Sorry, ho, didn't realize you were with those guys."

"It's h'okay," Demonee-Ho said, then introduced them to each other. This was Raiho they had found. "How's your hunt going?"

"Not too great," Raiho said, although he didn't seem discouraged. "I got separated from Samurai Jack; I'm not sure if he's even in this world anymore, so I'll have to track him back down once this mission is done. Also bumped into some crazy calling himself Frost Ace, which got me lost when I stepped on a teleport trap. Yet I'm not giving up, ho!"

"You've seen that jerk Frost Ace?" Black Frost asked. "Where did hee go?"

Raiho pointed over to the ladder. "Downstairs, pretty sure it was heere too. And, uh," he shifted his hat, "I've been hunting all h'over this place, but I'm starting to think that my target is actually in the next Kalpa. For one thing, there aren't any signs of his magic around. There's some pretty tough demons down on the next floor to the exit, though. Don't want to exhaust myself before the big battle, so I was thinking of some way to sneak by."

"Who are you after?" Naoki asked.

Happy to be asked, he twirled his old-style pistol around. "H'only one of the biggest baddest demons around, ho! Any demon hunter who tangles with that pest and comes out alive is honored, even more if they're actually victorious! He's one of the great lords and princes of Hell, with many faces for many evils. Even the horrible evil god Baal is merely only of his guises. I'm after none other than… Beelzebub."

"Dun dun duuuuun!" Demonee-Ho sang out cheerfully. Pixie giggled.

It was likely that Beelzebub was around to test him. But these guys were making this huge maze of doors and teleports more fun, and there was no rule about him doing this alone. "Well I have to get to the next Kalpa too," Naoki said. "And I'm helping Black Frost at least find Frost Ace. Why don't you come along too?"

Raiho looked him over. "Hmm, well you're the Demifiend and that'd make you a high profile target too. Buuuut, if Demonee-Ho likes you, then you can't be all bad."

"Well he respects us, which is more than most high-profile demons do," Demonee-Ho said.

"Great! Then sure, I'll join the hunt with you?" They spoke a contract and shook hands on it.

Since Frost Ace had gone down the ladder and the exit wouldn't be up here, they headed down to the next level. Naoki closed his eyes and scanned the area. Moving in a downward spiral, this level's path was made up of many loops big and small. There were a number of portals in dead-ends too, although he couldn't sense which portals were connected to which. All paths past this area before the spiral would eventually go down. Oddly enough, there were only five demons here. One felt much like the group of jacks with him.

"Either Frost Ace or your friend Samurai Jack is down here," Naoki said. "There are four other strong demons around, the ones who must be working for Hikawa. Other than them, this place is empty and winding."

"Whoa, you've already got intel on them?" Raiho asked, his eyes wider than usual. "Te-heerific!"

"Mmhm, Demi's got special powers," Pixie said proudly.

"So who are these guys working against you?" Demonee-Ho asked.

"They're followers of Shijima which is really fucking awful!" Black Frost said.

"To put it bluntly, what he said," Naoki said. "They want to remove all emotions from everyone to create a world of what they call serenity. I call it total boredom."

"That is awful," Demonee-Ho said. "You can't let 'em win!"

"I won't, don't worry," Naoki said, looking down at him and Raiho. "But you two are demon hunters. We're contracted already, but I'm willing to pay you guys for helping me knock off these four, a mix of makka and items. What do you say?" He didn't plan on any costly fusions soon and there were plenty of items that he could spare as rewards. It would make them happy while embarrassing the Shijima demons in losing to these jacks. It was an all around winning situation as far as he was concerned.

"You got it, Demi!" Black Frost said, even though he wasn't one of the hunters.

"Yeah, we'll prove ourselves to you!" Raiho said eagerly. Demonee-Ho just saluted to the offer.

Naoki smiled at them. "Great, then I'll let you know when we're coming close to one and the layout of the halls around them."

Just for the fun of it, he shuffled his skills around to play a supporting role to the group. It left him without any skills or spells to attack with himself, but he could always give a good punch in a pinch. They found Surt first; the reds of his dark skin stood out in the brown halls. However, the fire giant would struggle to crawl through the doorways around him and some of the walls in the spiral were replaced with bars. All of the jacks and Pixie knew ice spells, so they could assault him quickly through one of the barred walls. Surt fell before he got more than one bar out to reach them.

They found Mada next. The blue-skinned god made strange dancing movements as he walked around, his fiery aura illuminating the dim hall. If Naoki had run into Mada much earlier, he could have been trouble as physical attacks would actually heal him. The guns Demonee-Ho and Raiho had would also heal him, so he warned them about that. But against another flurry of ice magic, he fell as well. They didn't even give Mada the chance to see them. Nor Mitra, who also had the misfortune of being weak to ice.

Near the end of the winding level, they found both Mot and the other jack. He wore silver armor and a white cape, making him Frost Ace. "You are hee-evil and so you must be stopped!" Frost Ace declared, hovering after Mot.

Mot was floating too, seemingly nothing but an ornate golden sarcophagus. "And you're nothing but an annoyance, a fly to swat away," he said, shifting his lid aside. A decayed black arm emerged. "Be gone." He then slowed down time with Beast Eye to avoid Frost Ace ramming into him, then used Makakaja to make himself more powerful.

That was a dangerous skill; they'd have to take Mot out quickly. But then Mot used Beast Eye again, keeping his altered time going to keep raising his power. Even though Naoki and his followers were out of sight, they were still in range for this. Mot then blasted Frost Ace with Megidolaon twice, knocking him to the ground. Black Frost was snarling now, odd when he seemed so against Frost Ace. Perhaps it was a feeling that only he should defeat Ace. The time distortion was fading, but they'd need to move quickly to stop him from using it again.

Mot would not resist physical attacks. Naoki used Tarukaja as soon as he could, then grabbed Black Frost and hurled him at Mot's back. Thankfully, Black Frost caught on and curled himself up to hit as hard as he could. It knocked Mot right onto his lid, getting a startled yelp out of him. Black Frost posed darkly on Mot's back, glaring at Ace. "Hey, don't you go falling to anybody before I can beat you up!"

"Huh, B-Black?" Frost Ace said, sitting up barely conscious.

"Pixie, heal him up and then start using Maziodyne," Naoki said. Electricity was Mot's one weakness; he shifted Shock back into his abilities just to take Mot down before he could use Beast Eye again and blast them all without end.

"Gotcha," she said, using Mediarahan while Demonee-ho and Raiho joined in on attacking Mot.

Thankfully, they got him down before Mot could make another move. "Hooo, that was embarrassing," Frost Ace said, still sitting on the floor despite being healed back up. "A hee-ro shouldn't be the one being saved."

"Right, but I'm your villainous rival!" Black Frost said. "Nobody else gets to defeat you, got it? You'd better shape up!"

Frost Ace looked at him. "Huh, you did save me. Yes! I knew you had a heart of gold!"

"Whaaaaaat?!" Black Frost stomped a foot down while Demonee-Ho and Raiho snickered behind his back. "No way! I have a heart of black ice and a soul of complete burning darkness! I'm heeeeeee-evil! I only stepped in because I want to beat you up myself!"

"You were hanging out with a hero in Demonee-Ho," Naoki pointed out.

"W-well that's only because I was gonna turn him against the others," Black Frost said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And then I stuck around cause if I get to defeat Beelzebub…"

"Dun dun duuuun!" Raiho added in with a fist pump.

"…then they gotta recognize me as a powerfully heeeee-evil demon," Black Frost finished.

"Hold on, you guys are going after Beelzebub?" Frost Ace asked.

"Dun dun duuuuun!" Demonee-Ho said, also pumping his fist in the air.

"Sure we are!" Raiho answered. "It'll be a challenge for us all, even Demifiend here! So we're gonna make it epic!"

"Heeeey, if you're gonna have an epic battle against heeeee-evil, then you gotta have a superhero along!" Frost Ace said, hopping back into the air. "Lemme come!"

"Great, as long as you don't mind Demifiend being the leader," Raiho said.

"That's fine!" he said, flying over to Naoki's side. "You mind?"

"No, it's going to be fun and epic with all of us working together," Naoki said, then made a contract with Frost Ace as well.

"Well, I guess we can work together for this battle, just because Demi thinks it's a good idea," Black Frost said, turning away. But he seemed eager for something, either for the battle in the next Kalpa or a chance to corrupt his rival.


	38. Fourth Kalpa - Infernal Flies

In the pedestal room, four pillars waited for the candelabrum. Beauty, Majesty, Godliness, Knowledge. That took care of all the ones he got from the fiends. Unlike the earlier pedestal chambers, nothing happened except for the door being unlocked when he lit all of the candelabrum. The door back to the entrance was here too. "Anybody want a break outside the labyrinth?" Naoki asked his companions.

"Nah, we're good to go ahead," Raiho said, the other jacks agreeing with him.

"Let's go, that last level was easy-peasy," Pixie said. "Oh yeah, and, um Demi? I'm sorry if I caused you problems in my other forms. I was thinking real big and saw so many bad possibilities that I wanted to save you." Pixie shrugged. "Except not in a way you'd want to be saved, I know that now. It's a big relief to be back like this, actually."

"It's fine, you were affected by who you were at the time," Naoki said. The things Amaterasu had worried about were things to be careful of, especially with the kinds of decisions that lay ahead. Still, having her back to a pixie that left the thinking to him was a lot less stressful.

"Right! Oh, and I don't think I want to get fused or changed any more. Having been lots of other demons, even those who got fused into me, well, this just feels right. Plus I'm way more capable of helping you out like this." She twirled around, happy with who she was.

"I'm glad we agree on that," he said. Since he wasn't tired either, they headed on towards the Fourth Kalpa.

Lucifer was there in the parlor room to meet with them, as he has said he would be. Last time, Naoki had let him talk. He wanted to ask him questions and point out the problems he had with these plans. Right now, Lucifer still had the upper hand as the one who had granted him power, the one who was in control. Naoki was going to leave it that way this time as well. When the time was right, Lucifer would have to listen to him.

The parlor was quite nice this time, with framed pictures on the wall and bookshelves in the corners. It even accounted for the four extra demons, as a smaller table set up to be perfect to their smaller size was set up in a corner near the door onward. Lucifer even had some snacks and tea ready at both tables. "If you're going to press on, why not take a break now with me? In this place, we can take all the time we need."

"That'd be great, thanks," he said, taking the comfortable chair by the table. He might have been wary before, but this was a welcome break.

"Ooo, cookies," Pixie said, flying over to the patterned plate and taking a small sugar-encrusted cookie for herself. And it may have been small, but she could have used it for a shield.

"Hoo, wasn't expecting a place like this down here, it's nice," Raiho said, looking around.

"Thank you," Lucifer said kindly. There was a patronizing sense to him in speaking to Raiho and the others, but he kept that feeling entirely out of his words for them. "You're friends of the Demifiend, so you're guests here as well. But I need to speak with him; you may discuss your own plans if you like, over there."

"Sure, we're gonna turn Blackie into a hero!" Frost Ace said, flying over and taking one of the chairs for himself.

"No you're not!" Black Frost argued, going over with the other two. Lucifer smiled, amused by them.

Meanwhile, Pixie showed off her cookie she'd been nibbling on. "You should try one, they're great!"

"All right," he said. There was something familiar to the cookies, some kind of fond nostalgia. When he picked up one shaped like a clover, he recognized the pattern on that plate too. Wait, even this parlor, "The way you have this set up now, it's a lot like a place in my grandfather's house."

"He has good tastes," Lucifer said. Or, it was like the way he appeared as a frail old man now, using a wheelchair but keeping a familiar wooden cane in reach. It was going back in time, being back in his grandfather's house for the same tea, cookies, and conversation while his parents were away on business. If he hadn't just seen his grandfather's soul pass on, it might be disorienting seeing Lucifer here like this.

Naoki knew he shouldn't reveal that realization either. "I spent a lot of time with him, even to the day he died shortly before I started high school. I thought he was the wisest person on Earth because he could help me with any problems I had."

"You were fortunate to have known him," Lucifer said.

And he wants me to see him in the same way. While I shouldn't, I do feel that way about him. I know his flaws; I know how he could ruin me without a second thought, or even realizing it. But I still want to see him the same way I saw Grandfather. No… I already do.

Damn, he was so powerful now that nothing had harmed him in the last Kalpa, yet he felt so vulnerable sitting here. Naoki clutched the cookie he'd taken. "Yes, I am. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you about."

"What is it?" he said without hesitation.

This wasn't the time for the big questions. Start with something small, a little related. "Well, it's that odd trumpeter Elzbieta. She had to go into hiding because Kagutsuchi discovered she was a Mormon angel. And when I had seraphs with me, they were suspicious of her too. Do you know anything about that?"

Lucifer nodded. "Ah, that makes some sense of things. Yes, I do know the story behind that now. The Mormons are a radical branch of the Mesian church, with beliefs quite different from the main theology. The Mesians were splintered many times over various interpretations of their beliefs. It's, hmm," he looked at the table and picked up one of the cookies. "This should suffice."

"The cookie?" Naoki asked.

"Its shape," Lucifer said, showing the three-leafed clover design it had. "The Mesians believe in one god, the one they believe is the only true god; they believe their Messiah is God's human representative on Earth. But different branches have different interpretation of their God. Some, like the Mormons, believed that the Messiah that they all wait for is also a truly divine being. In fact, that interpretation of God is as a Triumvirate, like this clover. It has three leaves but one shape; a triumvirate god has three beings as one whole god. They believe in the Creator, the Messiah, and a certain being called the Great Spirit. Others believe that the Creator is the sole God and that the Messiah is simply a human with divine blessings to act on God's behalf. And, still others believe that the Messiah is something completely different, that a Messiah is a fulcrum to the balance of the world, able to influence the direction that humanity will go.

"Now, the Mormons in particular are set apart because of a person known as the original Messiah. Most Mesians believe that the original Messiah came into the world once, died and then was resurrected three days later for a brief time, then ascended to Heaven. According to the prophetic books of their scriptures, the original Messiah will return to Earth once again at the absolute end of times to give humanity one last chance before their souls are split permanently between Heaven and Hell. However, the Mormon Mesians believe that the original Messiah had a second life in another land. In some worlds, that is true; in other worlds, it's not. They had many other beliefs that made them distinct, even splinters of their own group that believed in polygamy, baptism of the dead, eternal soulmates, and more. In most worlds, they were denounced as pagans or crackpots. Some of them were very interesting to deal with, unlike most Mesians."

"But Amala gives rise to many possibilities," Naoki said. "Like sometimes they're right. Then at least one world let the Mormons rise to being the main core of Mesia?"

"That's correct," he said, smiling a bit in approval. "But the God of Law is not satisfied with letting them be, even if they are technically Lawful. I know that His forces have overtaken worlds similar to that. As such, I would wager that this Elzbieta is from a world where the Mormons grew strong, and that the God of Law invaded their world. Her actions in this Vortex World are still curious, but at least we have a likely cause for them now. I do wonder, though, what she thinks helping you would accomplish for herself."

"Well she's an angel, so it's more of what her triumvirate thinks assisting me or you would accomplish for them," he said.

Lucifer broke off one of the leaves of the clover cookie and ate that. "Hmm. It might be that they have decided to strike back against their aggressor. In which case, I don't mind all that much. It could make for an interesting alliance. When you get the time, would you speak further with this Mormon angel and ask about all this?"

Naoki nodded; he knew a good time for that. "Sure, I'd like to know that too."

While Lucifer spoke more with him, much of it was things that Naoki had learned elsewhere. Like about the manikins. He even got in a few questions about Aleph, which made Lucifer reminiscent. "Ah, I would have to know which hero he is, because I've seen several possibilities of his story."

"He got cursed by the God of Law to record the entirety of the conflict of Law and Chaos," Naoki said.

Thankfully, that was enough. "I see, that must be the one that chose neither side. I could tell he was going to turn out to be an interesting person the moment I first laid eyes on him, potentially very dangerous. He was an artificial human, one created through science and raised in a way to bypass most of his childhood. While there were others like him, they were something like magical constructs. More like demons than humans, in my view. But Aleph was unmistakably human. The way he was raised, though, that wasn't healthy at all."

"Michael mentioned that Aleph had defeated him when he was less than a year old," he said.

"Yes, that truly happened. I tried to get close to Aleph since he had such an intriguing potential, and in a few worlds I succeeded. But with the one you met, he came to distrust me after a while. But even without me, he succeeded as a Messiah far beyond what anyone expected of him. He even brought down the God of Law Himself and killed Him for a time."

"He actually killed the God of Law?" Naoki asked, leaning forward in interest.

"He did, and that's why he bears such a devastating and impossible task. But you see, Naoki, as horrible as He is to humanity, the God of Law does fulfill a powerful role in the thoughts of all of you. People seek answers for things that are unanswerable; they want to believe that a higher being is looking after them, or assisting them in odds that are against them. And as you have learned in the tales of Aradia and Noah, belief is vital to a god's existence. As long as people desire Him, the God of Law always returns."

"And that's what makes this stalemate, huh?" Naoki asked.

Lucifer nodded. "Truth be told, I am in a similar situation. I hold a strong enough place in the psyche of mankind that I can come back from complete annihilation too. People want reasons behind things that seem chaotic and random, and the God of Law has branded me as a scapegoat for such answers that require evil, all because I was the first to dare question him." He then winked at him. "But you see, there's hope in this for us. And it has to do with Kagutsuchi."

"What about him?"

"I'll tell you that once you complete the Fourth Kalpa," Lucifer said. "Speaking of that, it's not been changed as greatly as the last, but I have informed someone there that you're more powerful than we predicted you'd be going in there. The Fourth Kalpa is split into several areas, much like the Second was. The difference is how they're divided. Past here is a place called the Twelve Meters of Eternity. You'll find that moonlight fills that area, giving it a passage of time much like what occurs in the Vortex World. The Meters will take you to different areas of the kalpa at different phases of the moon. You already hold the Star Key which is required to enter the pedestal room to the Fifth Kalpa. However, you can't enter the room to reach that locked door until you defeat that demon who created the cursed areas through all of the kalpas."

"Then I have to find the proper time to enter the Meters to reach that demon," Naoki said.

"Yes, I'll leave that to you to figure out." He glanced over at the smaller table where the four jacks had somehow gotten into a card game. "And you intend on taking on that demon with those four?"

It had to be Beelzebub who was blocking his way. "Yes. Even if you warned him, I'm still going to bring them along. After all, what better way to embarrass someone who thinks themselves powerful than by helping a group that seems weak defeat them?"

Lucifer laughed at that, as did Pixie but her laughter was muffled by the cookie she was eating. "Yes, this is going to be fun," he said. He paused a moment to think, then added quietly, "Most of those dedicated to Chaos cannot see any benefit to altruistic methods of dealing with others. But they also cannot realize that trust is a vital tool in getting others to listen to and rely on you."

And that would work both ways. Maybe I am vulnerable to getting lulled into trusting him. But maybe he could have the same vulnerability since he's counting on me. And he won't be able to realize it like I can.

"I see," Naoki said, nodding to that. "I've met demons like that. It seems like if you can present it in a light favorable to them or if you're just much stronger than them, you can convince them to go along with altruistic acts they wouldn't do themselves, like when I intimidated the nagas into releasing all the manikins in Kabukicho Prison."

"Yes, sheer power is a persuasive enough argument to many who believe in Chaos," Lucifer said. He paused again like he wanted to go on; Naoki made sure he seemed curious to listen. "Presentation is also an excellent tool, one that you should be aware of." He kept discussing such things with him for a while; it took the jacks getting into an argument over their card game to make him aware of how long they'd been talking. "Hmm, well perhaps we do have as much time as we like here compared to the Vortex World, but we are keeping someone waiting on you."

"Right, this was nice but we should get going," he said, getting up out of his seat. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he said with a nod.

* * *

At first, there was only Jack Frost. He had more of a fae form, not this cutesy snowman look. But some drawings of his current appearance started spreading; if I remember right, it was postcards at first. Then Pyro Jack emerged from beliefs around jack'o'lanterns and a soul accepted by neither Heaven nor Hell. They were weak fairies, nothing to be much concerned over. And now there are these unique souls that rose out of this Jack Frost family, all set out to defeat Beelzebub. They'd probably go after Naoki too if he hadn't charmed them first.

Human belief does funny things sometimes.

Down in Hell's Prison of the Fourth Kalpa, Naoki and his merry little band have come across Samurai Jack. I don't recall the world he sprang from; something seems very fuzzy in my mind when I try. I wonder what happened there. This jack has a blue and silver long coat, as well as a katana strapped to his back that's easily twice as large as he is. Is that supposed to be some fairy replica of Masakado's Katana? That's amusing.

"Ho fellow, I was worried about you!" Raiho calls out, waving to his friend.

Samurai Jack waves back. "Hi-ho! Sorry about that; I got so into exploring this heeho place that I lost track of where I was."

"You looking for the demon lord Beelzebub too?" Frost Ace asks.

"Dun dun duuuun!" Demonee-Ho calls out as some joke between them.

"Ho-yeah, and I found him!" Samurai Jack says, bouncing in place. "But I'd come with Raiho to fight, so I was waiting on him."

"I was looking for you in the kalpa above," Raiho says.

"Which of the Twelve Meters is our target hiding in?" Naoki asks.

"New Moon!"

Hmm… since he came in more powerful than planned, I had instructed the demons inhabiting the Fourth Kalpa to not give him any hint as to which phase of the moon to find Beelzebub under. The Twelve Meters of Eternity is a wonderful puzzle to get people lost in. Doors in one of the Meter's mazes will only open to keys in the others; solutions to traps and puzzles won't be given where they are. Although, there is always the problem of someone getting lucky and finding the first movements towards the solution at the start. Like he already has the Star Key, and now he knows the source of the curses that would prevent him from reaching the door to the Fifth Kalpa.

Maybe Beelzebub won't be too impatient with this luck, given that I was speaking to Naoki so long. Humans are simply such fun to talk to, since even I have to learn more about them to know how to direct them. Naoki especially, he was listening so closely. Some humans listen to me with hesitation and suspicion I need to get by; others listen with greed and lust that is almost boring for how simple it is to direct them. But he's neither way. There's sincere admiration in the way he watches me now, I know because I formed that in him so carefully. In that, I… I can't quite put my finger on it, can't put a word to it, but…

A faint warning comes to my mind; someone's working against me somehow. There seems to be no one here, but that means little. The most dangerous influences are those you can't see. "Who is there?" I ask.

There's no one here, but I get a feeling… Aleph? Naoki did put him in charge of the Amala Network. That does worry me, although they seem to be allies still. Is he trying to pull Naoki away from me? That rotten… I know that's one who decided to throw down me, Satan, and YHVH for the sake of humanity. I'm not about to let him take my Demifiend from me, not when we've come this far.

Although, if it wasn't for the insane angelic plots that brought Aleph into power, I would never have gotten the idea to recreate those plots in a saner fashion to bring a human who had surpassed humanity under my will. I knew he was an incredible being from the moment I first saw him. And, someone to rightfully fear. If he'd gotten to fulfill his true potential, Aleph could have easily overcome any other being in existence. But the seraphs sabotaged that potential almost immediately and any version of him got repeatedly cursed by the powerful beings that he ended up fighting against. Aleph might be able to reclaim some of that potential as the avatar of Amala, but it won't be anything like he could of been.

Instead, it's going to be my Demifiend, Naoki, who's going to claim what Aleph should have attained.

I should be thrilled at that. I am, and yet… I built his power to account for the Creator's curse that he'll inevitably end up getting inflicted with. That's simply the practical way to handle it. But what if He comes up with something that cuts Naoki down just like Aleph? I know I've accounted for it, but he could suffer greatly for it and I…

I close my eyes. What is going on with me? This isn't like me. The Demifiend is my weapon, the one to finally cut me loose from this balanced stalemate, to free me from my own curse. I should look after him, instruct him properly. That's the practical thing to do. But if he fails, I can simply raise another Demifiend until I find the one that succeeds. It'll be harder given what Naoki has done to make himself notorious. Still, I've learned much from him and I can apply that to another…

Yet for some reason, I really want Naoki to be the one who succeeds for me.

* * *

Naoki had managed to avoid going through the cursed areas of the Kalpa directly so far. But getting to Beelzebub meant going straight through a long hall that was dense with it. Not only did it make the area murky and difficult to see, it made it hard to get any of his senses through. It wasn't the jumbled up mess of the Second Kalpa. Rather, this was a cloud of gibberish that obscured a few important words and made him feel like vomiting in trying to find those words.

Although he was baffled by the chaotic mess buffeting his mind, the five jacks and Pixie were able to find a way through it. They didn't have as many senses as he did to get confused by. It was a relief to get out of it and into the large open (and most importantly clear of curses) room at the end of the hall. "Hang on," he said, keeping the demons from running ahead. "Let's get healed up; we're going to need it."

"Ho, I think you're right," Raiho said.

"This is totally a boss room," Demonee-Ho said, checking his gun.

He was right. This room was shaped like a huge teardrop, curved and leading up to a point far overhead. Red magatsuhi spilled down the black glassy walls like rain. Like with the room with the huge terminal shaft in Nihilo's base, the floor here hung in the air with just a few supports from the walls under the two doors in the room. It spread out into a circle in the center. Below, things got strangely dark and dangerous. Falling off this platform could be deadly. The room was eerily empty aside from them, and the faint buzzing of flies that couldn't be seen.

Once they were healed up, Naoki let the jacks lead the way to the battle platform. The buzzing intensified once he stepped onto it, drawing to a point across from them. A few black specks became a few thousand, then a humanoid demon with green skin and wild black hair. The necklace of human skulls he wore clattered as he looked them over. "What brings all of you here before the great lord Beelzebub?" he asked.

"Justice and honor!" Frost Ace shouted, making Black Frost shake his head.

"We're demon hunters out hunting you," Demonee-Ho said, twirling his gun. "And the Demifiend and his pixie are tagging along for the heck of it, I think."

"That's about right," Naoki said as Pixie landed on his shoulder.

"Whatever, so am I," Black Frost said, trying to be evilly aloof and cool. "Just along for the heck of it, and hopefully some good fights."

"Hmph, you fairies are all daring," Beelzebub said. "And dumb. If you think you can claim victory over me, I'll be glad to prove you wrong."

"Nuh-uh, we're gonna prove you wrong, demon!" Raiho called out. He and the four other jacks all prepared for a fight.

Beelzebub would have gotten off the first move, a devastating physical against all of them, had Naoki not sensed it coming and thrown up a Tetrakarn to bounce it back at him. Even for this battle, he was going to stick to a support role unless the others started falling. Beelzebub could probably defeat the jacks even as they were working together, given the power Naoki was sensing in the early part of this exchange. Frost Ace and Black Frost seemed the most powerful of the jacks, throwing about spells of ice and fire of equal intensity. However, Demonee-Ho with his gun and Samurai Jack with his katana weren't far behind them; the former kept back and shot wildly in Beelzebub's direction (most hit) while the latter used acrobatic jumping and dashing to wield his over-sized weapon. Raiho was taking on a support role too, casting Rakukaja and Tarukaja to empower the others.

Even with their efforts, Beelzebub would have been able to take them out in single blow, maybe two for Demonee-Ho considering his armor. Naoki had Pixie keep the jacks healed up constantly while he tried to bring down Beelzebub's power. It led to a lot of exchanges of Dekaja and Dekunda, but any time Beelzebub was using those was when he wasn't attacking. Slowly but surely, they whittled down Beelzebub's health. It helped a lot when Naoki advised them with Whisper that their ice spells were being resisted and should be avoided.

And in the end, with a flashy final blow from Samurai Jack, Beelzebub collapsed before them and reverted back to a cloud of flies that scattered away.

"Wooheehoo, we did it!" Raiho called, twirling around on the spot.

"Hah, that was a glorious battle!" Frost Ace said, posing in the air. "Justice always wins!"

"That was great," Naoki said, moving ahead to meet with them. He had a feeling this wasn't over, but, "What are you going to do now?"

"We should get back to the comic book world for a proper celebration," Demonee-Ho said. "This is a pretty cool labyrinth for an expedition, but it ain't exactly the best place for a party."

Frost Ace flew over and nodded. "Yeah, I've gotta go back to protect my homeworld. Sorry, but it's a superhero's duty!"

"That's fine, I'm glad I got to meet you all," Naoki said, then released them all from contract. That is, all but Black Frost who was keeping quiet away from the others.

While Demonee-Ho and Frost Ace set up a portal back to their home, Raiho came over and offered a little device that looked like a small handheld game console. "You hee-elped us out bunches buddy, so here, why not take this? It's a world analyzer if you ever decide to go world-hopping too."

"Oh yeah, that's a handy device there," Demonee-Ho said. "You get a makka to local currency exchange, some cultural customs information so you don't go insulting anybody with a wave or something, a world-alignment scale, and loads more hee-elpful stuff."

"You sure you want to give away something like that?" Naoki asked, surprised that there was such a device around.

Raiho nodded. "It's fine, hee-ho! Besides, it's easy to get things-that-can-act-as-plot-devices in a comic book world like where Ace is from. You just gotta find the local nerds and make friends with them. I can get another easy if we want to head out on another expedition."

"Thanks, it might come in handy for me," he said, accepting the world analyzer. Both Lucifer's and Aleph's plans could make this useful even with Aleph having full access to the Amala Network.

"You're welcome, I'm sure it's in good hands with you, Demifiend," Raiho said, then waved. "Well, good luck! Maybe we'll see each other again!"

"Sure, that's be fun," Naoki said, smiling and patting Raiho. "Good-bye, guys."

"Goodbye!" Frost Ace called, then zipped through the open portal. Demonee-Ho, Samurai Jack, and Raiho all followed him through.

Black Frost crossed his arms over his chest. "Hmph, good riddance to those goody-two-shoes heroes."

Curious about something, Naoki aimed the world analyzer at the portal to see if it could get a reading on the comic book world. Meanwhile, Pixie flew over to Black Frost's side. "You aren't going with them?"

"And go live with a bunch of heroes?" Black Frost asked. "Nah, I'm fine here. I might be able to tolerate the demon hunter guys, especially if I could corrupt them to Chaos. But with that Frost Ace there? No way."

The world analyzer did give him a lot of information even through the portal. Since it was a comic book world, there were some pages of info that might not show up for other worlds. Naoki crouched down to show Black Frost one of the data pages. "But look at this: that's a superhero comic book that has no overall supervillain."

"So?" Black Frost asked, not seeing how that mattered.

"That means that should someone with a completely darkened black soul get in that world, they would immediately be the most incredibly evil person on that world," Naoki said.

"Reeeeally?" he asked, interested now.

Nodding, he explained, "Frost Ace did say he came here out of boredom. He probably has no worthy villainous opponent to battle with. Given that it's specifically a comic book world, the fight between good and evil can never end or else the comic itself ends. Someone like you would make that world a whole lot more exciting for everyone. If you make sure that all evil plots within the world can be traced back to you, then you will never be truly defeated. A great supervillain can even make it so that any victory the superhero gains is an empty one, just holding back the tides of evil for a brief time."

"Ooo, that sounds really fun!" Black Frost said, bouncing in place. "And then everyone will acknowledge my great evil, not just in that world, but in every world the comic has readers in! Awesome! I'll make sure to be the most entertaining supervillain of them all!"

"That'd be great, I'll look forward to seeing some of your comics," Naoki said, giving him a hi-five.

"Good, and I won't ever forget about you as my friend, the one who helped me rise to greatness!" he said. "I'll find a way to make you a legend in many worlds too! Later!" They ended their contract and Black Frost bounded away through the portal right before it snapped shut.

"That was really nice, but why'd you do it?" Pixie asked. "He took one of your magatama and in the end, he's just another jack."

Getting back to his feet and sending the world analyzer away, he answered, "He can achieve his dreams of being a really great demon there, so why not? Besides, the analyzer said that world was really high on the lawful side, so I basically just threw a potent source of chaos into it."

Pixie startled to giggle, but was quickly drowned out by a deeper chuckle and the buzzing of flies. Now that it was just the three of them, Beelzebub reformed himself in a different form than before. His humanoid form was faintly cartoonish, fitting to fight against with the jack band. This was much more like a pagan god, a giant fly that brought along the stench of blood sacrifices and rotten souls. Even his necklace of skulls was more decayed and blood-stained.

"Good, as you should do," Beelzebub said in approval. "And having your legend spread across many worlds is quite a valuable gift."

"I figured this wasn't over," Naoki said, facing him without fear.

"You have some faults, but you're not as naïve as some others that have come this far to challenge me," Beelzebub said. "Lucifer's even stopped playing around with you, so I should do the same to test you here. When we're asking you, born as a mere human…" a tremendous quake interrupted them, rumbling like thunder beneath their feet. Beelzebub gripped his staff, quickening his wings.

As it faded, Naoki felt a faint touch of radiance. "Is that Metatron?" he asked.

"Quite possibly," Beelzebub said. "Lucifer won't be pleased; we spent a lot of time securing this place after the last time he crashed in."

"I could just beat him this time," Naoki said. Maybe not with just Pixie even though he was going to try this fight with only her. But he'd end up fighting Metatron and other high-ranking angels like the seraphs anyhow. Might as well try now.

"Maybe you could," Beelzebub said, amused at his confidence. He thumped his staff on the ground. "In that case, it's more important than ever that I test you here and now, to make sure you are powerful enough to take on something like Metatron. Ready?"

"Ready," Naoki said, nodding.

"You'd better be," he said, then filled the entire room with his curse.

The noise and the stench and the phantom words: impatient traffic on a scorching summer day, a butcher's shop when all the meats had spoiled and blood was everywhere, hateful barbs, slimy come-ons, old criticisms. It was horrendous. Not only that, but flies were everywhere, bumping into him, buzzing around, and being generally indistinguishable from Beelzebub. Naoki did his best to focus in this. Where was Beelzebub himself?

Pixie reacted by blasting the whole room with Maragidyne, thankfully burning off about half the flies. 'Keep that up,' Naoki whispered to her, then followed up with Deadly Fury. It was inefficient, but until they knew which of these flies was their actual target, this would have to do.

Then the flies swarmed right at them, blackening their vision and deafening their hearing with all the buzzing. Pixie was outright killed by the attack; Naoki was simply hurt. He swapped in a healing spell in case he needed to use it on himself. However, he didn't have anything like Maragidyne. Gehenna had Magma Axis, but that was a single target attack, physical at that. Then Beelzebub attacked with the flies again, and again. Naoki had to settle for a pattern of healing, then Deadly Fury, then healing again. One time, Beelzebub used Megidoleaon instead, which nearly destroyed him.

However, he wasn't going to give up. He called out an orb of soma instead to heal up and keep energy for his own healing spell. As time went on, the cloud of flies thinned out. When the flies clustered together away from him, Naoki felt safe in switching over to Friekugal. The first didn't entirely hit Beelzebub, but it did annihilate most of the flies he had left. The second hit dead on and destroyed him. This time, Naoki was sure of it because of the smoky magatsuhi that scattered from the cloud of dying flies.

"Excellent work, Demifiend," Beelzebub said in a faint buzzing voice. "I will let others know that you deserve this glory."

"Sure," Naoki said. He still had to locate the door to the Fifth Kalpa, but as he went to check out the other door (it lead to some really nice treasure), he started thinking over how to take on Metatron, or whichever angel had invaded the labyrinth.


	39. Fifth Kalpa - His Choice

There was only one pedestal in this room, as to be expected when there was only one candelabrum left. Naoki set the Candelabrum of Sovereignty there and lit it. This time, it felt harder to give it up. This one had specifically been his for the game and it had helped him out in unexpected ways. There was the underlying message in doing so as well. But if this worked as he and Aleph hoped, it would not happen as doing this implied. As he and Pixie were both in good shape, he continued on.

The instant he stepped into the parlor, the background radiance intensified. Shifting light tried to break through the circular door on the other side. "What's happened?" Naoki asked, going over to Lucifer's side. "Beelzebub and I noticed something big happening."

"I'm sorry, it seems I failed to keep my defenses up here," he said. "Metatron has returned; he's destroyed the Fifth Kalpa and replaced most of it with something of his own design. You can still reach the place I wanted to bring you to. However, you'll have to go through him now to get there."

"That's no issue, I'll just go defeat him," Naoki said.

"Yeah, we've got it!" Pixie said.

Lucifer smiled at that. "Good, that's what I hoped you'd say. Still, you should bring at least some of the other fiends in with you. You were able to overcome Beelzebub's true form with only Pixie at your side, but he was merely testing you. Metatron will be trying to erase you from existence like Michael tried. I do not mind providing back-up should things get dire, but I would prefer to see you overcome this foe with yourself in the lead."

Naoki nodded. He felt a bit eager to test himself against this enemy even with the steep consequences of mistakes. Still, the less left to chance, the better. "What kinds of tactics does he prefer? Or any tricks I should watch out for?"

Thankfully, Lucifer approved of his asking. "He is the Voice of God, so he battles with overwhelming power and the sheer intimidation of his position. Since you have overcome the latter, you're in a better position already. He may be an angel, but he's very much a brute as well. He will probably manifest in the same colossal form you saw before, which is slow but extremely hard-hitting."

"That shouldn't be tough," he said. Sukukaja would take care of that matter, and Matador could easily run circles around a colossal brute. "But let's make him wait. You said you'd tell me about Kagutsuchi here."

Lucifer chuckled. Naoki felt glad that he was at least keeping him entertained until when he needed to get serious. "Sure, why not? I'm sure I can keep him out of this room. And if not, well then it's his fault if I get involved in the battle from the start. Now, I was telling you about how myself and the God of Law have gotten ingrained in humanity's conscious."

"Right, so that you'll end up being called back from death," he said.

"Now Kagutsuchi is different. He is an avatar of the God of Law, a face that monitors a particular process. In his own right, Kagutsuchi is extremely powerful because he is such an avatar. But here's the thing: Kagutsuchi has almost no believers itself."

"But gods need believers or they end up weak and faded like Aradia."

Lucifer tapped his cane. "In this case, being an avatar of a greater god is enough to maintain Kagutsuchi. Not only that, but Kagutsuchi rules everything within the Vortex World. He is how time is measured, he is the one who grants the power of Creation to mortals, he is the one who judges them on their Reasons. By agreeing to his rules, the Reason bearers briefly become devoted believers in Kagutsuchi. But if the system that Creation and Conception follows now is destroyed, those believers have already forgotten about him. If Kagutsuchi is killed, that's it. Kagutsuchi is a god who cannot be revived, despite being the wheel that world rebirth currently runs on."

"So getting rid of him will end this awful Conception business for good," he said.

"By all that I've learned, yes, that is so. And by its own rules, Kagutsuchi must be present in person when the road is raised, the keys are used, and the moment of Creation has arrived." Lucifer pointed at him. "That is the time I would like you to strike Kagutsuchi down."

"I'll remember that," Naoki said.

"Then there's not much more to be said until you've reached the depths of Amala," Lucifer said. "I hope to meet you there." He then vanished like he'd never been there in the first place.

"So, who're we taking to knock down a crazy colossal angel?" Pixie asked eagerly.

"Matador," Naoki said, summoning him to arrive. "And…" who then? Buffs and healing were probably ideal. "Trumpeter, and Daisoujou."

The three fiends arrived promptly; Daisoujou even took up the empty seat there. Matador was too eager for a fight to sit. "Well then, taking on Metatron?"

Naoki nodded. "Daisoujou, you're the best of us that I know of at healing, so that's your role."

"It is what I prefer," he said, making his bell chime.

"Trumpeter, you know Debilitate; prioritize keeping him debilitated, then hit him with whatever he doesn't block out or resist."

The skeletal angel nodded. "Good, good, that's what I like too."

Naoki turned to Matador. "And you, Matador, I just want you to be as much of a pain as possible. Not necessarily through sheer damage, but whatever will keep him unfocused."

Tapping the handle of his sword, he considered that. "Hmm, I generally fight alone, but in this scenario, si, that would be quite a tactic. I will get that accomplished for you." He even bowed.

"Pixie can handle being a pest too," Naoki said, which made her giggle, "and I'll adapt to what the situation calls for. You all ready for this?"

"Of course, let's utterly humiliate him," Matador said, shuffling his cape so it was ready. The others agreed, so Naoki led them through the door.

This was like nowhere else in the labyrinth. The path under their feet had the same petrified wood material as was scattered throughout the kalpas, but that was it. They seemed to be in an expanse of nothing but bright sunlit sky. While the rest had been a maze, this had one clear path: a gentle spiral downward leading to a massive circle that had to be where Metatron intended to battle. A straight path past that lead to one of the regular kalpa doors, just sitting there on its own.

"I suppose he's kept things simple," Naoki said as they walked down.

"Usually angels go for more elaborate displays of what they claim as glory," Matador said. "Though truth be told, they make some epic battlegrounds."

When they got to the large circle, the radiance of the area grew more intense. Naoki thought about closing his eyes, but decided instead to see how long he could bear this. It became difficult to see anything visually, including the edge of this platform. However, only he and Matador were at risk for falling. Naoki could tell where the edge was mentally and Matador probably had good awareness of his surroundings as well.

"Stop right there, despicable half-breed," Metatron said in a bellowing voice that seemed to come from all directions. "If you have any concern for the state of your soul, remove yourself from here and go back into the world where you belong."

"I'll decide where I belong, thank you," Naoki said firmly.

"Every candle you light in this place represents how far you have fallen from grace. You have been complacent in the evil deeds of the fallen angel Lucifer since you stepped foot in here. If you intend to go any further, there will be no salvation for you. You will be left to the darkness of your sins and the curse of your Creator."

"That makes absolutely no sense since I've never followed the beliefs of the Mesian church," Naoki said. "How can you hold me accountable when I was never a believer in the first place?"

"Touche," Matador said.

"Such trifles do not matter!" Metatron roared. "If you're going to be that way, then I will smite thee myself!"

"Good luck, you'll need it," Naoki said, signaling to his team to get started. He had set Sukukaja with his skills for this so he could get that enchantment on his group, although Matador started right up with Red Capote to accomplish the same on himself.

Once Trumpeter had gotten a pair of debilitates off, Matador ignored the blinding light and darted between Metatron's legs to nick him in the ankle. As she was tiny, Pixie took off as well, got herself in a blind spot, then struck with Megidoleon while Metatron was trying to stomp on Matador. That left Naoki free to use Focus, then wait for opportune openings to shoot Friekugal at the angel.

It didn't take long for Metatron to realize that he could not intimidate them, and that he was rapidly losing ground against them. "My Lord, give me the strength to strike down these devils," he muttered, then caused a massive spread of fire that strangely smelled of salt. It reminded him of Naoki of the last time he'd encountered this angel.

"Isn't that your power, not your god's?" he asked, brushing off the pain of that attack.

"Do not be foolish!" Metatron insisted. "All power originates in God. I have merely borrowed it to carry out His will. And you have stolen it!"

"Could we just agree to disagree?" he asked, waiting for a time to attack.

"That is not how things work!" He blasted them all with that fire again.

And now that Naoki was distracting him, Matador was able to pull off an Andalucia at Metatron's floating foot. "Hah hah, that's what you get for not paying attention to the mighty Matador!"

Metatron growled in anger, and then got whaled on by Pixie's Megidoleon again. He tried to heal himself, but it wasn't enough to keep up. Before long, he was reduced to crumbling silver feathers. "F-forgive me, my lord, for failing to uphold Your will here."

"That's what you get for trying to stand up against us!" Pixie called as she swooped down to rejoin them.

"Or just being a big dumb slow brute," Naoki said.

"Now, that is the door where you must make your decision," Trumpeter said, drifting down once Metatron was fully gone. "If you descend the elevator past there, you will be joining our forces and there will be no going back."

"I understand," Naoki said. And he'd had plenty of time now to consider everything. "I'm still going."

"Well then, meet you on the other side," Matador said, pleased along with the other fiends. The three of them faded away. Perhaps this would be some show and they had parts to play in what came.

On the other hand, Pixie landed on his shoulder. "This is so exciting! I never imagined that you'd end up going this far for us. But then, Lucifer has been calling you the hope of all demons."

Naoki smiled at her. "I know. But now," he lowered his voice so that hopefully only she heard, "I have one last trick to play before I cross that line."

"Oh, what's that?" she whispered into his ear.

"Follow me and you'll see." He crossed the last path and entered the door.

The part beyond that was familiar to Naoki. The organic brown walls, the floor of magatsuhi that had a heartbeat, the pools of strange liquid, the fleshy floors that had some give: this was the place he had first experienced the Amala Labyrinth, where Lucifer had transported him when he was still in the hospital. Naoki also realized that this must be near where they actually performed most of the transformation on him, where he'd left off being human. That could be why, in spite of this place being disturbing and strange, it still felt comfortable. Like he belonged here.

He followed that path to the end again, coming to the room where he had met the older version of Lucifer and the black-clad nurse with him. Where had she gone? But then, she didn't really matter. She was another puppet to this play. It was better that things got pared down to the real players here. This time, he could fully enter the red room and activate the elevator in the center.

After the tunnel surrounding the elevator disappeared, a sudden roar of applause greeted him. This was a large space within the labyrinth, with tapering organic walls that held windows which only revealed shadows behind them. In the center, there was a large room that was set up exactly like the last parlor he'd visited; a wooden pathway led out to where the elevator would stop. The difference from the parlor was that the room was now a stage. Or, had it been a stage all along, with the thick red curtains obscuring this huge theater? Lucifer waiting on the stage, using his older wheelchair bound form to greet him with.

As he hoped for, the thirteen candelabrum encircled the place that the elevator was descending to. They were exactly the ones he had returned. Good. Below that, a vast pool of water acted as the place that the stage and elevator floated upon. Magatsuhi flowed densely in that pool, even thicker than what he had seen within the central pyramid of Amala Temple. This really felt a lot like returning home.

When the elevator landed, Lucifer held a hand up. All of the noise and cheers died off. "Welcome, Demifiend," he said, not making any indication that he should come forward. "As you have heard around you, we are grateful that you have decided to join us."

"This is what I want to do," Naoki said, to the approval of those watching.

"Good, I'm glad," Lucifer said, putting his hands together in front of him. "You have proven yourself in more ways than planned, passed every challenge set before you in ways worthy of a champion. But to accomplish the goal now set before you, you will need to overcome all weaknesses you bear and become more than you could ever imagine. I know that you have encountered our enemy, the God of Law," this caused hushed murmurs, which Lucifer soon stopped with a small gesture, "so you know what power you will be facing. To help you with that, I would like to grant you a portion of my powers, along with something a human should never acquire: the heart of a demon, suited for the work you will be doing. Now, by the candelabrum you have been acknowledged by..."

That was his game: he was moving this along too quickly for him to properly respond and stop him for questions. That is, if Naoki bothered being polite. "One of the candelabrum is a fake," he stated simply and firmly, making sure that his voice carried.

A nervous hush filled the room as Lucifer's hands dropped. From his blank look, he didn't know how to respond. As the murmurs started up again, Lucifer gripped his cane, then got up out of the wheelchair. He may have pretended to be like Naoki's grandfather, but he walked perfectly fine across the floor to the elevator to examine them. The candelabrum circled around at his command, stopping finally at Godliness. Taking it out of place, Lucifer examined it a moment. "Trumpeter," he said quietly, an anger building up there.

"It's not his doing," Naoki said quickly as Trumpeter appeared. The fiend was flustered, but quick to nod to his statement. "At least, I'm sure he wasn't aware of it. You can't do this ceremony with a fake candelabrum, even if it lit the halls of this labyrinth."

Keeping hold of it, he turned his hard gaze at Naoki. "What is it you want?" he asked coldly.

A chill invaded Naoki's blood; Lucifer was the most powerful one here, the one whom the fiends had utmost respect for. But no, he wasn't going to let himself be intimidated. He wasn't going to let him think that he was just a tool that could be thrown out. "I need to speak with you on the terms of this arrangement."

Lucifer kept his gaze harsh, close to hating a challenge at this point in his plans. Naoki did not let up either. If he could defeat Metatron, and if he had the power to take down Kagutsuchi, he had no doubts that he could take on Lucifer as well should things pan out that way. If he did that, then maybe he would have the power to defy death on his own, without the safety net allowed by a kinship with Death.

And then, Lucifer let up first. There was a sense of amusement to his magatsuhi, even a touch of pride. "Very well. If you wish to discuss things and would go this far to get your words across, I will listen." He offered a hand; he must have no intentions of discussing the matter here, under the gaze of so many other demons.

The audience, even Trumpeter, were amazed that this was happening. "Thank you," Naoki said, taking his hand. The whole theater of the labyrinth faded as they moved elsewhere.

He had expected them to move to one of the old parlors for this discussion, so the sound of bird song startled Naoki. They were in a forest that seemed like it could have been any wild place on Earth. The trees were green and flowers were blooming in the thick grass. Not only that, but Lucifer had chosen a very different appearance. He looked exactly like one of the human like angels, with long golden blond hair and twelve golden wings on various parts of his body. But unlike the seraphs that wore armor, all he covered himself with was a white strand of cloth that floated close to his body.

"Now, what do you have in mind?" Lucifer asked, smiling although he kept his eyes closed. "I would not say so in front of the others, but I know what it takes to defy your maker. For that, yes, I will listen."

"Pardon me for being frank, but I don't believe that this plan of yours will work as you imagine it," Naoki said.

That made him frown. "What?"

"You intend on giving me a demon's heart, as you just stated. I can guess why: the empathy and emotions I have as a human often run counter to what demons do and believe. There are demons for every kind of emotion, it seems, but they don't have the range that a human does. Not even you, so there are human emotions that seem like a weakness to you. And they can be weaknesses in us, or strengths if we know ourselves properly."

"Most humans do not learn that and seem like they cannot," Lucifer said. "There are some emotions that you would be better off without, especially given what your mission will be after this."

Naoki shook his head. "No, there's something important that you're missing. If you take my human heart, you're also taking my human willpower. And isn't that one thing that humans have over demons that you can't make up for?"

"Sometimes," he said, resisting full admission to an error like that. "Do you happen to know the Hebrew language?"

"No, I've only studied Japanese and English," he said. "A lot of what you've told me has to do with willpower, doesn't it? Gods rely on believers to exist. Even you demons rely on belief in you. And that belief comes from human willpower. So if you give me a demon's heart, you subject me to the limits of belief, which limits my powers and what I can do with them. As I am now, my human emotions are enough to support my demon powers, making me self-sufficient and able to adapt should situations outside of all planning occur."

Lucifer opened his eyes at this, anger building up at this challenge. They were an unsettling blue and red, patterned like scars. He still attempted to stay calm. "Then you believe you are better off staying as you are now?"

"Yes, that's what I think will work best," Naoki said, taking a deep breath. "I want to help you as best as I can, father. I'm doing this for you."

The whole little forest went silent, hinting that this was some illusion Lucifer was producing. Lucifer himself stared blankly at him, caught off guard by something. Now what? Naoki wasn't sure, not of what to do or what was going on.

Someone put a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, you've struck him far outside his soul's frame," Aleph said to him. "You addressed him sincerely as father. He is not made to know how to respond to that."

"What now?" Naoki whispered, not wanting to break this moment where Lucifer was stunned.

"I must tell you up front that what you're about to do is an experiment," he said. "I do not know what will occur from this, but I believe if anyone could accomplish it, you can. If it works as I hope, we have a means to fight the deep corruption we were not aware of before. This is a possibility because you value family, you love Lucifer, and you have drawn yourself so close to him that he sees himself in you. The proof in this is right before us, that he cannot comprehend how to take being seen as a father figure and he cannot rationalize your sincerity."

Naoki nodded.

Aleph patted his shoulder. "Now, you must believe with all of your heart that Lucifer is capable of love. Powerful demons like him are indeed affected by the beliefs of humanity as a whole. You are in a unique position to capture him in your will and alter what he can feel. Believe that Lucifer can accept you as a son, and have no doubts in that."

Closing his eyes, Naoki lowered his head. "I thought it might be something like that."

Believe, with all his heart and soul, that Lucifer could change and accept him as completely as family. Family was the most valuable thing to Naoki. Lucifer needed to see things in the same manner. He could see things that way.

* * *

Something seems strange about all this. This should be unacceptable. I determined that the journal must be a fake, some trick to put doubt in me and weaken my plans. For a moment, I wanted to strike him down and destroy him myself, for daring to suggest that I could be wrong in something so vital to what I have worked on for so long… but maybe he's right. Gods rely upon belief. Disbelief, denial, those weaken gods. It has been rumored that if a human could deny God to His face, they could destroy Him. A rare few souls have accomplished this, like the one he asked about.

He said that he's doing this for me. He called me father, not forced but speaking from his heart. I have what I wanted. The seeds I planted have bloomed and he should be under my complete unquestionable control. Hmph, but now he's questioning me and for some reason I can take it. And, I want to give him what he's asking for, to keep his human heart… and keep this love, as that would wilt if he was given a demon's heart. It shouldn't matter to me, and yet it does.

Trying to figure that out is a waste. We've got things moving, we don't have long to hesitate. "You may have a point," I say to him. "Many emotions can become a weakness, but you've come this far already. I'm sure you can surpass them. Plus, I had not considered that your self-sufficient state when it comes to magatsuhi could be so vital. But it should be true. In worlds where we must depend on summoners to have energy and physicality, you should be able to support yourself and a couple of followers to assist you."

"That's one of the reasons I have for not wanting this last transformation," Naoki says.

"But there is still some power I have yet to grant you," I tell him. "I was counting on you having a demon's heart, so I'm not sure how they will work out powered by a human heart."

"It should be fine," someone else says. How did they get in here? Then I notice, it's Aleph, the one Naoki made into the avatar of the Amala Network. Of course. With that vast store of knowledge at his thoughts, he would be the one to know. "And he is correct. The current hybrid state he has will be more effective than should he receive a demon's heart. As he is now, he is difficult to define. You blurred the lines between human and demon well; not even the network is sure how to categorize him as other than Demifiend, and a unique category with a sole member is considered close to unnecessary. In fact, you both are the ones who know how best to define him. As long as that remains, the side of Law will always be baffled in how to handle him."

"That is what I intended from the start," I say. Although why did I not see that giving him a demon's heart would make him easier to define? It seems so obvious now. I look to Naoki; I don't want to limit him like that. Or hurt him like that, if I must be honest. Not that I'll tell them. I really am being strange right now. "Now what are you doing here, Aleph?"

"We've agreed to work together on investigating the deeper causes of corruption and conflict in the universe," Aleph says. "Which means, I will be working with you too, at least through him. I wanted you to be aware of my presence, and to be here in case you were more difficult to convince. That journal is indeed from yourself in a time that was completely pruned from existence, the last evidence that it existed at all. You keep those kinds of notes so that only you can understand them, yes? Thus it is only you who could have written that."

As much as I don't like being proven wrong (and so often in one meeting), I have to admit that he is correct in that assessment. "I see. It's encouraging to know that you'll help us this time around." I put my hands together at my chest and close my eyes again. "But then, those we left just now are expecting a ceremony. I will agree to not replacing your heart, but could we at least complete what we started there? It will help with what powers I mean to grant you."

"Sure, I'm fine with that father," Naoki says.

There it is again, some strange twitch and warmth. I should stay in control, stay a bit distant. Or, should I? He may be easier to control if I play into this belief of his. "Good. My son, then..." why do I feel like this saying these words? "I am glad that you agreed to be with me."

He smiles and that… ugh, I can't get distracted like this. I smile back, to please him (it is nice, I suppose), and pull him back into our little theater. Aleph follows, but has chosen an invisible form to hide out as a witness. I won't bother to change form for this, since he won this part of our game. Somehow. And I don't mind that. The other fiends have decided to show themselves as well, curious about what was going on.

"We have that matter settled, but there's still the problem with this candelabrum," I say, glancing at Trumpeter. "Now, where is the real one?"

"I don't know," Trumpeter says, trying to seem like he doesn't care when he is embarrassed at it. "I'm sure I didn't lose track of it."

"It's with the Divine Trumpeter," Naoki says. "She egged you into challenging her at some point; you said as much when I asked if you'd seen her. But you would never say how that challenge panned out."

"Er, well," he taps his feet together.

"She somehow swapped the real one for a fake when she defeated you," he goes on. "It looks the same, and somehow it has similar powers to the rest. There was no noticeable difference in the Fourth Kalpa that couldn't be accounted for its native coloring and odd lighting placement. But it's still a cheap knock-off." Trumpeter sighs at that.

"Then she probably still has Godliness with her," I say. "Well then, let's go pay her a visit. This ceremony won't be worth much without all of the real candelabrum."

"She's hiding out in Mifunashiro," Naoki says quietly to me.

"Good, that's easy to reach." I take his hand again and transport us out of the labyrinth, to a brief time after he entered it. The coin that was meant to summon me is still here; I don't think I should draw his attention to that.

It doesn't take long for the wayward Mormon to appear before us. She's either very bold or silly to show up and smile at me like that. But then, she did pull this trick off on my Trumpeter, so she can't be the fool she presents herself as. "Hello! Oh good, just who I wanted to see."

"We came about the Candelabrum of Godliness you have," Naoki says.

She nods and leaves her trumpet in one hand to call out the real one. Strangely, it doesn't affect her at all. Most angels claim that the candelabrum smell noxious. "Sure, I've got it here. But first, do you mind hearing why I did this all?"

"We were wondering that," he says.

"I can guess at some of your background," I add on. "If you're one of the Mormon angels, and you're here in Amala, either your world is in Amala or it was forcibly joined to Amala by invasion."

"We were invaded," she says with a nod. "We had a good thing going when angels from other worlds showed up. At first, we didn't think much about it, just that they were fellows visiting. But once they established a terminal network through the world, they attacked many locations at once, leaving us scrambling to defend our believers. It took a heavy toll but we managed to drive them out. And one of our losses was that one of our leaders was sealed away from the rest, throwing the balance of the Triumvirate out of whack."

"Then this is a mission of vengeance," I say. That would also account for her being strange; a three-part god unbalanced like that would immediately unbalance their angels.

Elzbieta tilts her head. "Hmm, sort of? The remaining two determined that we needed to build defenses against such an invasion from another world, but they know that the God who'd declared war on them would try continual small attacks to wear us down. They have many worlds to draw soldiers from, for one thing. So they decided it was best to send in a diversionary force to draw attention away from us. And, that's me! I volunteered for the job because I can seal myself in a way that no attacks ever connect to me, not even almighty ones. It's helped when I get caught or backed into a corner."

"So you were helping me because I'm a part of your diversionary tactics?" Naoki asks.

"Of course," she says without hesitation. "You seemed like you'd be a really good distraction from what our world is doing to defend itself, so I saw to it to give you little things that'd make you an even better distraction." She then twirls the candelabrum around. "Say, you there, the morning star. Now that you've heard this, would you mind leaving my world alone? It'd just be a distraction for you once we get closed off again."

So that's her ploy, trying to gain leverage to make such a request of us while using my Demifiend for her own plans. Hers is a world I'm not familiar with, not off the top of my head. What am I doing there? There's already a network of terminals and… actually, it would be a distraction when we've got Kagutsuchi to slay. Once we do that, YHVH will turn actively against us. It would grant the isolation she and her God desire. Although if YHVH decides to invade there again, I could always send demons off to counter God's angels. It could even be called a support team coming in as the rescue team, yes…

"You do make a good point that it would be a distraction," I say. "And you seem to have assisted greatly with Demifiend's training," even to enabling this complication. "Very well, Mormon angel, I am fine with leaving your world alone."

"Great!" she says, and I wonder how much of that smile is fake. She's certainly tricky for an angel. Then she flies right up to us and offers Naoki the candelabrum. "Then I'll just hand this over to you then. I'm not participating in whatever game you had going, and I was told to come back intact and safe once I'd done what I could to contribute. It's up to you both now."

Once she waved and left the world, Naoki asks me, "Are you really going to leave her alone?"

"For now," I say. "She did help convince you to my side, so I can leave her world alone for that. If that's all, we'd best not keep the others waiting."

He nods and I return us to the labyrinth. He lights the real Candelabrum of Godliness, to the applause of those watching, and we're finally ready for this ceremony. Actually, much of it is for show. One should never underestimate the value of a good show; I think he's getting that idea, but it couldn't help to speak with him more about it some time. And one should always be ready to alter things on the fly, although sometimes it's hard to actually do that.

"All the pieces have finally come together," I say, quieting the crowd of demons watching us. "Soon we shall have the first strike in the final part of this war that has kept us in darkness for so long. For now, Demifiend, we welcome you to our numbers."

Then the elevator beneath us sinks down into the pool of magatsuhi. Naoki is startled a moment, although he hides that well in just glancing around at the spinning candelabrum. While it's not in the plans, I descend with him. It feels more right now. Down here, the density and power of magatsuhi is enough to overwhelm most beings, even some of the greatest demons. He's more sensitive than most, but he bears it well and keeps his focus between us.

"It should be complete darkness down here with no color surviving," I tell him now that it's just us two again. "Although I was the first to fall, or perhaps because of that, I still bear light enough to illuminate these depths so far from the Creator's heights. I will let you keep your heart as it is, but I would still like to share this light with you; it may be needed in the future. And, to awaken the last of your magatama's power, now that you have truly united with them," I touch his chest to undo that last block and unlock all of his abilities.

Naoki gasps in getting overwhelmed; his mind shuts down into sleep to deal with the abrupt change, like it did when we started this. I know he can adapt, he just needs a bit of time. And there's this new spirit, the magatama that Masakado somehow created. I wonder if he was trying to lure Naoki away from me, like he did with Aleph. That man, he has the power of a god, quite immense at that. But he says he will never forget his humanity and will always fight for them. Maybe he has a point if he grew that powerful?

But you know, we are alone down here. And he's out hard in sleep, already adjusting to the changes. I could still grant him a demon heart; I meant to pass on my will to the Demifiend and that will not be possible if he still has a human heart. It's because of those insane seraphs. There's a number of worlds already where they've managed to seal me into silence. It's a task of eternity to them, but we angels and demons have eternity to work with. Should they catch this self in the same way, I want someone out there who has the right power, ability, knowledge, and drive to take over for me until I can be freed. It should be another demon.

I could still do this…

No, actually. I can't. I can't because he asked me not to and gave good reasons for why. It's ridiculous; no one should have that kind of power over me. I mean, he does have the knowledge and power since I remade him so carefully, and he's proven his ability with all that he's done. And he does have the drive when getting here meant facing Beelzebub, Metatron, and my own stubbornness and pride. So it might be that I don't actually need to replace his heart, even as it keeps his weaknesses as a human. But he shouldn't be weak at all if he needs to take over for me.

He is like me, though. Not entirely, but enough. He's earned the loyalty of much of the Fiend clan, which means he could be the one other who could unite them in some cause. I'm sure the others won't take long to be on his side, which could actually be trouble for me if he turns against me for any reason. He's learned to manipulate others into doing what he wants. More practice and guidance could get him to do that and make them think it was their idea all along. And even if it's me, he is capable of defying his maker at all risks to himself, for what he believes in. Only, I'm willing to listen to him, change my plans… and be happy for him doing all that…

"Is that your plan to keep yourself as you want?" I ask him, even though he's asleep. "To worm your way into my heart as I have yours?"

But, why fight it at this point? As long as he gets the job done, well, maybe I can take this risk too. This isn't normal for me and I don't know how he pulled it off. But I've watched humans for as long as they existed, so I know… I hug him for a moment, while he can't notice.

I'll have to adapt to this new weakness he's given me, but, I want to take care of him.


	40. The Road to Kagutsuchi

Naoki woke up to find himself back in the hospital, in the same room he’d first woken up in for this new life.  Nearly all the information about the room was the same: a morgue with a wall of refrigerated body storage, some very old bloodstains around, he was lying on an exam bed for patients, it was cool and dry here.  It felt so natural now that he took it in like looking around visually.  And, there was a faint presence, like someone had been here until just before he’d woken up.  There was a long blond hair nearby.

Heh, I bet he didn’t imagine that he’d want to stay by my side this time.

But there wasn’t a point to lingering here long.  He still needed to take care of Isamu with Noah, and Hikawa with whatever god he was calling.  And, he had to find Yuko once again because she held a vital key to finishing off his tasks in this world.  Then things would be dead serious.

As he walked over to the terminal, he snapped his finger.  “Pixie.”

She appeared immediately and flew alongside him.  “Oh hey, we’re back here!  Where to now?”

“The Diet building, though I’ll have to go overland to get there.”  He smiled at her.  “Since you’re small again, want to come with me on the bike?”

“Oh yeah, that’d be great!” she said excitedly.

The Diet Building was large and distinctive, making it easy to navigate to on the bike.  In his old life, he’d come here on a school trip once.  They’d been limited on where they could go then, but he wasn’t now since it was still intact.  Despite that freedom, he only had one goal here and the flow of magatsuhi made it obvious where he wanted to be.  There was a sealed door in his way.  But, who cared about that when he could bust the door down with his own power?

There was a problem though.  Yuko and Aradia were in the building too, with Hikawa.  “We need to hurry,” he told Pixie, then slammed his shoulder into the door to break it open physically.

* * *

This world was so dream-like; Yuko couldn’t explain how she ended up in some places, or what all was going on.  Like why she was being followed by a foreign warrior.  “M’lady, I don’t think you should be doing this,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder before she entered the room.

“It’s all right, I need to talk with him,” she said, opening the door.

The room was spinning, although that didn’t surprise her.  The very center of the room held a covered altar with a complicated puzzle trunk.  Hikawa already had the puzzle undone so the lid was loose.  However, he turned to beckon her forward.  “Good timing, I need you now.”

“Don’t do this,” the warrior warned, gripping his spear and ready to fight for her.  Why?  Not that it mattered when he got blasted into the wall by a red dragon with many wings.

“Hikawa,” she said, her throat tightening up.  He was an intimidating person.  But, she might not have had any effect on the world if he hadn’t chosen her.

“It’s time to fulfill the last part of your role in bringing about Shijima,” he said, still gazing at her.

That was right, what she’d seen in the Nightmare.  But while Shijima would bring serenity, it wouldn’t be the peace she was seeking.  “I don’t think this is the proper direction for the new world,” she said.  “A world isn’t still.”

He narrowed his eyes at her.  “Why bring that up at this stage?  You were working towards it all along.  Did you need that much time to decide, enough that the whole world passed away?”

Yes, that burden was hers to bear.  But, it was to make things better, not worse.  “Not everyone is like you; not everyone will be happy with this.”

He closed his eyes and snorted.  “Happiness is an ephemeral thing people waste so much time and money looking for.  What the world needs for a Reason is reason, not vague feelings.”

At this point, Aradia appeared, fluttering near her.  “We should go, woman,” she said softly.  “There will be other worlds.  You can find your hope in them.”

That was tempting.  But this was the kind of thing a person should stand up for.  “No, I know what I want now.”  Although giving it a name, putting it to words, filling in the details… those were still rough ideas.  But her god was supposed to help with that.  Perhaps she didn’t mean to act until the time of Creation.

“I think I should go,” Aradia said, making Yuko feel a coldness in her chest.  “You should find your dreams, woman.  Don’t give up.”  Then she vanished into blue-green sparkles.

“How pitiful, abandoned even by the one you thought would help you most,” Hikawa said scornfully.  Yuko wondered if she was always meant to be the weak one, no matter what happened.  “But did you think such a frail thing that could only manifest as butterflies could truly help you?  No, you had to find the answers within your self.  Instead of that, you were always looking for someone to answer for you.  That was what you meant with calling those foolish students of yours here, didn’t you?  But they found no answers for you, and what answers they found for themselves were utterly ridiculous.  Nothing you’ve done so far has amounted to anything.”

He was right.  She’d not accomplished anything at all.  Maybe the nightmare had never ended.  She fell to her knees, feeling energy draining from her.  Hikawa was going to have his way after all.

“Yuko!”  With no more warning than that, someone was by her side.  It was Naoki, crouched down by her with his hand on her shoulder.  Maybe she had helped him find his own way after all?  For some reason, he was surrounded by a halo of ethereal light, with strange black wings.

But the dream was nearly over, she could tell that.  “Naoki, you have such a strange light to you now,” she said.

He gripped her, trying to support her when she’d already fallen.  “I have the light to illuminate the depths of hell,” he said softly.

That was oddly comforting.  If he could pierce such darkness, maybe he could have even helped her.  If she’d listened, if she’d been able to properly help him.  “I’m sorry; I ended up being nothing to you.”

“No,” he said.  “What you’ve taught me from the beginning has led me to find what I want in all this.”

She smiled, feeling like she could let go knowing that.  “Good, I helped someone.  Here, let me return this.”  She called out the Yahirono Himorogi and offered it to him.  “You need it more than me.”

He took it and soon had it away somewhere only he could reach it.  “I’ll make good use of it.  And, I promise, Hikawa is not going to get his way with the world.  I’ll end him here and now.”

Then the world could have a good future.  “Good, thank you Naoki.”

She could finally let go and fade away, knowing that what she was being sacrificed for was not what was going to be.

* * *

Hikawa turned away once Demifiend entered the room.  It didn’t matter what they did now.  As he had his sacrifice along with the store of magatsuhi with the treasure in this chest, he was ready to call on his god.  He still had to deal with Demifiend and the Reason of Musubi, but they were bound to fight each other at this point.  Whichever one won and had to face him, he was sure he still had the upper hand.  The powers of the Demifiend, as he’d last checked on them, were not any more than that of a high ranked demon.  Hikawa knew how to deal with demons, even if this one needed extra force to be made to comply.

“Samael, keep them from disrupting me,” Hikawa ordered, clasping his paper charm to give the orders.

“Of course, master,” the dragon said, a little too eagerly.  But no matter.

Now, to contact his god.  He’d carefully researched gods that could qualify for Creation before he’d triggered Conception, looking for an exact match to Shijima.  Although who he found seemed like an odd match, he felt like Arihman would be able to enforce the serenity of the world.  He could protect it from those who would invade, like angels, demons, or other gods.  And this god wasn’t widely acknowledged, not just in the old world, but through many worlds in Amala.  He should be eager to take the offer.

“Arihman, god from the deserts, answer my call to rule the world of Shijima,” he chanted quietly, while shifting the lid off the chest.  There was an old round mirror in here, one that was said to be valuable to a goddess.  He didn’t care who it belonged to as it soon wouldn’t matter.  However, it had garnered adoration from all of Japan’s citizens.  As a result, a vast amount of magatsuhi from centuries was here with the mirror.

Power began to fill him.  Of course; he knew he would triumph.  A cold stone appeared in his hand, one of the keys to Creation.  Now he could just open the road…

“Guh!”  A sharp pain cut through his torso, piercing through his whole body.  What… why now?  He looked up and saw a massive figure in a golden chariot.  It had sent a green tentacle through his body to assassinate him while Samael was busy fighting Demifiend.  “Wh-why?”

“Because you’re a prude who didn’t use sex for Conception,” the demon said.  “You don’t deserve to partake in Creation.”

“Damn...” what the hell was this?  He… he was Hikawa, the most powerful man this world had produced, the one who could kill it.  He didn’t deserved to be killed… by a giant green dick.

And the stillness came for him, but he could not welcome it.

* * *

Before long, Mara joined them in fighting Samael.  “My main task is complete, but I feel like hanging around,” he said.

“When did you get here?” Samael asked, getting defensive.  “And, you killed Hikawa?!”

“Heh, I come when I come,” Mara said.

“I told him to wait until Hikawa had the stone key,” Naoki said.

“Well I was mainly here to fight you, so that no longer matters,” Samael said, then cut his wing through the air to attack them all.

Force magic was Mara’s weakness, but since Naoki just nullified it, it didn’t give the dragon that much of an advantage.  He hadn’t even called any of the fiends for this yet.  He let loose the Friekugal he’d been waiting on.  With all of his power unlocked, Lucifer had given him the ability to pierce any defense with his physical attacks.  That included Friekugal, even though that cut through anything anyhow in being Almighty.  The attack tore apart two of Samael’s wings, forcing him to use more energy keeping himself aloft and repairing that damage as quickly as he could.

But no matter how he tried to keep himself whole, Samael could not stand up to the combined forces of the three of them.  “That was more than I foresaw,” Samael said, finally letting himself sink into death.  “Good, we shall throw off these yokes.”

“Everybody’s really counting on you, even those who are fighting us now,” Pixie said, coming closer to him again.

“I won’t let you all down,” Naoki said, then looked to his temporary ally.  “Thanks Mara, you saved us a lot of headache.”

“It would have been a headache if he’d gotten the god he wanted,” Mara said.  “Glad I could be here.  Also, you have grown in power immensely since we met last.  Keep my medium for yourself and call on me anytime.  I mean, you’re not one I’d normally answer to at all since you’re untouched by my temptation.  But I still like you in spite of that.”

“Same to you,” he said, giving him a bow before letting him take off to wherever he wanted to be.  Once he was gone, he sent the chariot wheel charm away.  “I just won’t be calling on him very much, I don’t think.”

Pixie giggled. “He’d be useful for brute force, or if you’re caught in the situation he specializes in.”

“True.”  The place where Hikawa had fallen seemed to float in the middle of this strangely spinning space, but he could sense an invisible path heading out that way.  He climbed up to retrieve the Netherstone.  That was three keys he had, one to the road and two to Kagutsuchi himself.  “Now I just need to handle Isamu.  We’re going back to the Amala Temple, as I have a feeling he’ll follow us there.  If not, he’ll be easy to find afterwards.”

“You got it!” Pixie said cheerily.

As expected, Naoki sensed Noah as soon as they arrived in the terminal room.  The entrance hall seemed pulsing with energy nearly as much as the labyrinth.  All the magatsuhi that the gods had required might have been returned to the world, leading to this.  It was unfortunate that the world wouldn’t get to use it.  But then, so many other worlds would be freed in return.

In the outer area of the temple, inside with the four pyramids, Noah hovered over the reflective pools with Isamu curled up in a small red bubble.  The unborn god wasn’t even visible on the water’s surface except near where Isamu was.  “I thought you’d come back with everything,” Isamu said, trying to make it seem like this had been his plan all along.  But his lie was painfully obvious.  “Now Musubi is the only Reason left, the only way for the world to go.”

“It is not the only way, and I won’t let it be the way,” Naoki said firmly.

“Wh-what?  But why?”

Just give this to him.  He deserves to hear it.  “What have you done for your Reason?” he asked.

“I’ve done everything that was required,” he said.  “I chose a Reason that would make people happy.”

“You chose a Reason that didn’t require you to consider what anyone else wanted because you’d thrust the responsibility on them,” Naoki said.  “No good.”

“But it would work!” he insisted.  “And, I found a god to support me.”

“This god would answer to any Reason, regardless of what it was,” he said.  “In fact, it was the laziest god you could summon since it took no effort to do so.  You had no connection to the one you sacrificed either, not even in a strong feeling like the disgust Chiaki felt for her sacrifices.”

“He was trying to take the network from me!” Isamu said, his bubble quivering.  Noah moaned; there wasn’t even anything it had to communicate other than anxiety that a being of destruction seemed to be angry nearby.  However, the god wasn’t sure what to do about that.  “And, the sacrifice set up here was all his idea anyhow!  He was going to make his own Reason too; he was going to sacrifice one of us instead, I know it!”

“I doubt it because his true self knew that he wouldn’t be allowed to conceive a Reason, not without an immense backlash like everything he tried to do for himself,” he said.  “And another thing you just said, it wasn’t your idea.  You copied it from someone else so you didn’t have to do the work yourself.”

“Well if it works, it works,” he said.

“And this kind of thing is why you never had good grades in school,” Naoki said.  “Why I had to help you have the grades you did.  Hmph, and how much of the work into this project did you do yourself?  You had me go kill the demons that were keeping the magatsuhi within the outer pyramids.  And then you waited around until I had claimed the keys from the other Reason bearers, not lifting a finger yourself for the Reason you claim to support.  While you might have gotten a barely passing mark in school, in the Vortex World, that’s considered failure.”

“B-but you’re not the judge of Reasons!  Kagutsuchi is!”

Naoki shook his head.  “I’m not playing by the star’s rules; I’m playing by my own.  And I have the power to determine which of you deserves to get to see Kagutsuchi.  I had chosen someone, but since the others conspired to kill them off, I have decided that none of you Reason bearers will get to see Kagutsuchi.  None of you will even reach the road.”

“That’s not how things work, that’s not...” he was whining now, shivering in his protective shell.  Even Noah was getting the idea that it was in a bad situation.

Tapping into his power of Charisma and all the intimidation he could muster, Naoki told him, “And you must realize by this point that failure is punishable by death, and I have no reason to hesitate against you anymore.”

Noah got the message clearly this time and squealed noiselessly in alarm.  Deciding that a chance at birth wasn’t worth this much bigger chance of death, the unborn god fled back to the depths of the Amala Universe where it was more comfortable being.  Perhaps it would never again try to become real, letting itself be undone with time.  Isamu crashed down onto an island of little blocks.  Since his life had been connected to his god since the summoning, he was rapidly fading from life.

“Fine, I don’t care anymore,” he said bitterly, giving up then and there.  “Do what you want; it doesn’t matter to me.”

“That was so lame,” Pixie said, turning away from the sight.

“Right,” Naoki said.  He wasn’t going to remember Isamu like this if he could help it.  He’d remember Isamu as when they’d still been friends, biking down to the beach and getting along well.  “Would you go pick up the key he had?”

“All right, then we can just leave him be,” she said, flying over to grab the dark stone.  It was the Earthstone.  That should be all he needed to meet with Kagutsuchi in person.

He entered the upside-down pyramid to put the Yahirono Himorogi in place.  The dense magatsuhi was comforting now, feeling life sweeping around and through him.  What would Kagutsuchi be thinking, being called to a world that had no more Reasons?  But it would come.  It had to obey its own rules.  The artifact slid into place effortlessly, becoming a gear that had been missing in the machinations of the world.

Perhaps this was part of what was actually natural about this process.  Once the pieces were in motion, the magatsuhi around him, no, in the whole Vortex World, was drawn into the small artifact here.  It then directed that energy through a channel that led straight to the Obelisk.  With the energy it properly needed, the Obelisk pulled itself out of the ground and grew straight up to meet with the shining blue star in the center.  That was the road, something more immense than Naoki had ever encountered beyond the world itself.  The soul of the world awakened, seeking out its new life.

“Sorry everyone,” he said quietly.  “This is goodbye.”

* * *

Things were not going as they were supposed to.  Everything was working, Creation was ready to happen.  But, the Reasons were missing.  There were a few left in the world who might have a say in things.  Most would simply be ignored.  Somehow, the misbegotten manikins had gathered at the base of the Obelisk, watching the rise of the road to Creation in person.  One being in the world had the will and complete soul to earn a say in things.  There was a plan should things turn out to be directionless.  The world would come back and, step by step, grow closer to God.

The manikins did not deserve Creation, but they still entered as a group.  They started climbing, arduous as it was on such weak creatures.  Before long, the one with the right to give meaning encountered them as he started to climb.  “You all made it here?”

“Yes, but it’s just us,” a woman said, looking over their assorted group of six.  It included one child who was not letting his small size and tiny fragmented being stop him from such a long journey.  “But it’s okay, we’ll still fulfill Futomimi’s dream!  We’re going to prove everyone wrong and make it to the top of this Obelisk.”

“That’s right,” an apparently old man said.  “We’re gonna go right up to Kagutsuchi and tell him, ‘Make it so!’  Um, is that going to be enough?”

“If you have the will to reach the top, you deserve to have Kagutsuchi listen to you,” the one said.

“Sure, we can do this,” the child said, waving his arms for lack of better expression.

The one nodded and decided to take things at their pace, rather than what he was capable of.  It was nonsense, but he was the one with the right to speak.  As long as he made it to the end with the keys to Creation, Kagutsuchi did not care how the game was finished off.

At least having only one able to speak made things easy in this world.

* * *

One of the manikins who’d gotten ahead of the rest was sitting on the ground.  The demons here were actually ignoring them, preferring to pounce on Naoki as he seemed like a more exciting fight.  To be honest, he liked that.  It broke up this immense climbing and kept the manikins safe.  “You all right?” he asked the one waiting there.

“Yeah, just tired,” the manikin said.  “I know this tower looked massive, but it’s something else to be within it.  Some parts, especially in the center, really feel sacred when you move through them.”

It was because the soul of the world was around, climbing with them.  Naoki had to keep himself from reflecting on that too much.  This was his sacrifice.  “I know.  But you’ve made it this far, more than anyone expected out of you.  I have a good feeling that all of you can make it to the top.”

“Yeah,” he said, getting to his feet.  “And hey, thanks for sticking with us.  As strong as you are, you could just zip right up there if you wanted.”

Naoki gave him a reassuring smile.  “Possibly, but I think this is more meaningful.”

Meaningful or not, there was something to consider.  Despite what he said, he knew Kagutsuchi wasn’t going to listen to them.  Futomimi had barely met its requirements and he had been something quite special among the manikins.  This group would not meet the requirements, nor would their support of Jiyuu move Kagutsuchi at all.  Even if Naoki supported Jiyuu now, there would be only sheer will to make it happen.  What he meant to do took a great deal of willpower as well, but he felt there was a greater future for everyone across the Amala Network of universes if he followed this path.  Then, what should be done about these manikins?

He called on Pale Rider to discuss the matter with him while trailing behind the regrouped manikins.  “I know they’re doomed to fail at this point,” Naoki said quietly.  “But with this, they could have some triumph.”

“I understand,” Pale said.  “Even the smallest creature of life struggles to maintain itself.  There are good ways to die, and bad ways.  You want to see to it that it ends as well as possible.”

“Then we can do this for them?” he asked.  Although if Pale balked, he wouldn’t hesitate to order him into it.  The terms of the game of candelabrum still stood.

Thankfully, he nodded.  “Death can move soft and swift, you will see.”  He then vanished.

He started to catch up to the manikins, but a demon entered from a hall they’d ignored.  There was Thor, from wherever he had been hiding after his king had been defeated.  “Hold it,” he said sternly, getting the manikins’ attention.  “The Demifiend I can excuse, but what are you weaklings doing here?”

“Go on ahead, I’ll meet you later!” Naoki called to the manikins.  They nodded and hurried ahead; one even raised up a pillar to block the way.  He turned to keep Thor here.  “They made it up here because they have a strength you can’t recognize.”

“If there’s a strength I do not recognize, it cannot be strength at all,” Thor countered.  “You’re wasting your time with them.”

He shrugged, not caring about insulting him.  “And just what have you been spending your time with?  The Mantra fell while you were away.  Then it got taken over by Yosuga, which also fell with you not doing anything to help.  So you suck as an ally.”

“None of that ever really mattered,” he said.  “I’ve been through this war for thousands of years, across many worlds.  Whichever side wins, the other side will rebel and take back over in a generation at least.  It’s at the point that I don’t care anymore which side I’m on, as long as I get good battles out of it.  You can change things.  Yet here you are wasting time with those who only exist to be defeated and used.”

He felt angry, but decided not to act on it.  There was someone much more worthy of his anger further on.  “Then you really suck as an ally, and as a judge of others.  I can change things, but what happens in the time left for this world ultimately doesn’t matter as long as I accomplish my main goal.  On the other hand, that time is all they have left.  What happens now is of great value to them.  For that reason, I don’t mind seeing to their safety.”

“Then you help them out of pity?” he asked, angered at that.

“Out of respect,” he corrected.

“What a waste,” Thor said.  “If you can’t see what true strength is, I can correct that easily.”

“Really?” he asked skeptically, challenging him to do so in a look.

“Hmph.”  He raised his hammer behind his shoulders, electrifying it with a large amount of power.  Then he struck Naoki across the chest.

He felt it, but the magatama negated any damage that might have done.  He was even able to stand his ground.  While Thor was taken aback by that, Naoki grabbed the god’s chest with both hands.  He would have liked to do this one-handed, but Thor was much larger than him and this afforded a better grip.  He picked up Thor off the ground, then hurled him into the wall.

“The Mantra respect power, didn’t they?” Naoki said sternly.  “So respect that and stay out of our way.  I have chosen to see them to the top of the Obelisk.”

“To the top?” Thor asked, ignoring what pain he had to get himself steady against the wall.  “Very well.  If that is what you choose to do with your power and you can overcome me, I have no right to stop you.”

It was dumb reasoning that he did not agree with.  But as long as it worked in his favor, he could deal with that.  “Good, I expect not to see you again in this world as a result.”  He then turned and left.  The pillar was still there, but it was nothing a bit of climbing couldn’t overcome.  Actually, Thor would have had no difficulty vaulting himself over this.

They were well over halfway now.

* * *

One of the demons, after Demifiend gave them a critical look, had been nice enough to direct them to an elevator that took them directly to the locks before Kagutsuchi.  The walls were completely gone this high up.  A scattering of the huge blocks that made up the Obelisk orbited around a massive shining globe, within which Kagutsuchi would be waiting.  Another of the cubical elevators was here, in front of three tall white pillars that had indentations for some kind of key.

It had been such a great effort making it through the Obelisk that they hadn’t thought to look for keys.  “They look like sixes,” the child with them said, keeping close to one of the women as he was tired from it all.

“Are they going to be down in the Obelisk?” a man asked.  “There were so many passages we didn’t take, and places I’m not sure we could find again.”

“No, I’ve got those keys,” Demifiend said, making three black stones appear in his hand.  Unexpectedly, he offered the keys to them.  “Why don’t three of you set these in place?  No one expected you to come this far, so you may as well prove that you made it.”

“Oh, thank you Demifiend,” a male manikin said as he accepted one of the three keys.  “But where do they go?”

“It doesn’t seem to matter,” he said.  “But if you want something to make sense, put the Earthstone, that one, in the middle, and the Heavenstone and Netherstone, these two, on either side.”

“Okay,” he said, going to put the Earthstone in place.  He trembled with excitement, so it was hard to fit just right.  But once he managed to stay still, it slid right into place.  The pillar even shot lights up the sides, celebrating their accomplishment too.

Once all three stone keys were in place, the whole platform shone, clicking to unlock.  It was large enough that the six of them and Demifiend could rise up at the same time to the floor above.  This area stood before a long straight path straight into the glass dome where Kagutsuchi resided.  After many harrowing hardships and a long exhausting climb, they had made it here before the Star of Creation.

They had done it!  The six manikins looked at each other, overcome with glee and not sure what should be said now.  If they could, they would all be smiling.  “We’ve made it at last,” the old one said.  “To where Kagutsuchi lies, with Futomimi’s dream in hand.”

“Yes, you’ve done very well to make it this far,” Demifiend said, smiling for them.  “Congratulations.”

And then…

A strange mist surrounded them, sparkling with many colors.  It was full of comforting scents, welcoming them with a loving embrace.  All the weights they had carried, all the pain and sorrow they had bore, it all slipped away into serene peace.  Perhaps Kagutsuchi had already accepted them?

And with them, Demifiend had changed.  Black wings sprouted from his back, gleaming with blue light that was different from that of Kagutsuchi.  That’s right, it was like Fuitomimi said.  He was their guardian angel.

“I will not forget that out of all who were in the Vortex World, you were those who had the real strength to emerge victorious,” he said.  “I will never forget you, even if everyone else does.”

They would be remembered as victorious.  If only the other manikins could feel the joy and triumph they had at this moment.

No, there was no need to wish.  The six victors knew that the others would feel this.  For they were being welcomed back to the others, in a place where there would be no pain or suffering.


	41. Judgment of the Star of Creation

After a moment of silence to respect the manikins, Naoki headed in to meet with Kagutsuchi.  That had been the best way he could think of to handle it: put them into enchanted sleep, then use Eternal Rest from Pale Rider to kill them before they could realize it.  Also before they could realize that Kagutsuchi would bluntly crush their dreams, pointing out that it saw nothing worthwhile in their existence.  As far as Naoki was concerned, they had won among those who had been supporting Reasons.  The actual bearers had not even set foot inside the Obelisk once it became the road to Kagutsuchi.

As it was, Pixie and Pale Rider were the ones to enter Kagutsuchi’s chamber with him.  What awaited them was something he hadn’t seen since witnessing the death of his world.  Sterile white-blue light filled this space; even the blocks used for walls were pure white.  In the center, a sphere (also made from blocks) hovered with more blocks in its orbit.  It almost seemed like it could be a peaceful thing.  But knowing what he did, Naoki saw it like a lifeless hospital room where the doctor did not care about his patients as long as he got his paycheck at the end of the week.  The presence was oppressive; this was a true god even as a mere face of God.

The cubes rippled across the surface of the sphere.  “Good thing you took care of those manikins before entering here,” Kagutsuchi said, its monotonous tone not helping it look any better.  “I would not have let them enter.”

“I don’t like it, but I figured it would be that way,” Naoki said.

“Now, you who carried the keys to meet with me, you who brings a Reason before the soul of the world, show me the state of your heart,” it said.

Bracing himself, Naoki let Kagutsuchi try.  It felt like he was back in that pool at the bottom of the Amala Labyrinth.  Dense magatsuhi swelled between them, full of information and emotion.  Flickers of his past went through his mind, some faded to sketches now.  But while Kagutsuchi was having difficulty grasping him, Naoki felt something.  He knew for certain that Lucifer had accepted him as family, even hugged him while he was not aware.  Of course, Lucifer wouldn’t want to admit to that yet.  Naoki would find some way to coax him out of that vanity.

“W-why?” Kagutsuchi stammered, utterly baffled.  “Why is it…?  I can barely read your heart.  There is thick darkness in your soul; you have been listening to the words of the fallen angel far too much, too enthusiastically.  There is a blazing lightness of irrational hope in your soul, one no demon could hold.  You come to me bearing a seed of Destruction rather than a seed of Creation.  How is it you are the one who remains to stand before me?”

“I am the Demifiend,” he said to it.  Pixie put her hands over her mouth to try muffling her giggles.

The star kept trying to figure him out.  “And, why does your heart seem so human when you are so clearly a demon?  This makes no sense, you can’t be both.  Who are you?”

“I am the Demifiend,” he told it.

“No, that doesn’t, that doesn’t help.  What are you?”

“I am the Demifiend,” he repeated.

“No, this must be some illusion!”  Ripples spread faster across Kagutsuchi’s body.  “You cannot exist like this!  You cannot be what you are!  You cannot be the one to decide the fate of this world!”

Naoki shook his head, acting like it was boring him.  “No, I can be what you see.  I can exist.  However, I can’t accept your judgment if you don’t acknowledge the manikins out there.  I am the one who had the keys.  I am the one before you at this time.  Thus, I am the one who decides the fate of this world.”  He narrowed his eyes at it.  “And your own fate as well.”

“What is going on?!” it demanded, finding no sense in any of it.  “No, you’ll not decide anything!  I can’t let one so corrupted anywhere near the power of Creation!  I will erase you from existence myself!  Now accept your fate, De… hu… Demifiend!”

“You’re not the first to say that to me,” he said, getting in one last mocking before he snapped his fingers and called in the other fiends.  “Come on, we’re taking Kagutsuchi down.”

“You’ve got it, boss,” Matador said eagerly.

“Roger!” Pixie said.

“This’ll be fun,” Trumpeter said, then blared a declaration of war on his trumpet.  It didn’t do anything other than incite Kagutsuchi even more.  But things like that just tilted this encounter more in their favor.

Unlike Thor, Kagutsuchi was an enemy that could still put up a tremendous fight against the majority of the Fiend clan (and a fairy) here before it.  All the attacks that it could perform were almighty, so he had no trouble striking any one of them, even Naoki.  And every attack shifted its phase movements forward, trying to disorient them with unreal time movement.

When it hit its full brightness, it lashed out with an intense radiance that had a similar bleaching quality as the river the seraphs tried to get him into.  As it turned out, it was easier to stand while he had a physical body.  Daisoujou got a healing mantra out quickly to recover them from that; Naoki had sent Mother Harlot over to help defend Daisoujou because as long as they had the gold-robed monk on their side, Kagutsuchi would have to defeat them all in a single blow in order to take them out.

It did not seem capable of that.  But then, Naoki didn’t feel surprised.  Why would a god geared towards Creation, even a mockery of it, be capable of Destruction?  Or, why would it even be capable of fighting true Destruction when it appeared?

Kagutsuchi did not try to escape.  As a last ditch effort, it stole the soul of the world and drained it completely dry of magatsuhi in order to keep fighting.  “You should not exist!” it ranted.  “You shall be eliminated!”

“Hey, I think you broke a bunch of your own rules there,” Naoki pointed out.  “You were the one who just killed the soul of the world, not us.”

“It doesn’t matter as long as you are ended!”  Its attacks became more powerful, its aura more insane.  But again, as long as it did not take them out quickly, it was finding it difficult to take them out at all.  Naoki even activated a Soma to make sure the whole group was restored to full magical energy.  As long as they, specifically Daisoujou, had some magic left to cast, they were not going to fall to this god.

As it was, a combined attack of himself, the four Riders, and Matador took the Star of Creation down.  The cubes fell out of place and crumbled, leaving behind a shining blue orb of a soul that was cracking apart.  It screamed out against what it saw as absurdity, but that last cry broke itself completely.  The light of this place rapidly extinguished, leaving them in the darkness of space as the Vortex World crumbled to dust.

The vast field of stars around them flickered as the other Vortex Worlds lost contact with Kagutsuchi.  A great many of them darkened and did not come back.  But a scattered few remained within Amala.  “The absence of Kagutsuchi ends its artificial games,” Pale Rider said.  “The worlds that don’t really belong here were sent back into reality, restored to how they were as best as the universe can manage.  What we see left are those that truly need rebirth.”

“More often than not, nature and the universe can take care of itself,” Daisoujou said, his bell chiming in the darkness.

“But now we’re supposed to leave you on your own for what comes next,” Mother Harlot said.  “I’d wish you good luck, but I don’t think you’ll need luck.”

“Si, we are certain that you will be more than capable,” Matador said as some of the others left.  “And if not, for reasons that cannot be blamed on you, well we’re here to support you.  We’ll see to it that he accepts you.”

“I see, thank you,” Naoki said.

“Mm, but I’m staying with you, like always,” Pixie said.  “I dunno what’s going on, so I have no reason to leave your side.”

“If had to choose one follower, I wouldn’t take anyone else,” Naoki said, smiling.  He had a feeling she’d know in spite of all light being gone.

“As they have said, the falsehoods of Kagutsuchi have ended,” Lucifer said, appearing behind him.  There was still no light, likely by his choice.  “Without the star to measure the length of death and rebirth here, time itself has ended within this universe as well.  Know that you have now been cursed by God because of your actions.  But it is through that curse that you can truly fight against Him.”

There was something shifting about himself.  A brand of hatred, then?  But he would surpass it as well.  “I see.”

“Kagutsuchi is a god that bore the power of Creation,” Lucifer said, silently moving around him.  “It measured time and took care of worlds after death.  But it was never meant to cause death directly.  Therefore, while you have made your declarations clear, that was not a true test of the power you need to wield to fight against God.”

“That makes sense,” he said.  “Then are you going to fight me too?”

Lucifer broke his serious tone to laugh softly at this.  “You read me well.  You have already overcome me in other ways, in ways that I never saw coming.  I am proud of what you have accomplished so far.  But if you are going to be set against our greatest enemy,” there was a brief faltering there too, but he caught himself well, “I must know that you truly have the power to accomplish such a task.  I will be with you, but for this battle, I will be against you.  Prove yourself, or,” another falter, “we shall see to it that you get prepared.”

Although he would now be facing off against his most powerful foe yet, without the other fiends unless he summoned them specifically, Naoki felt at ease hearing the challenge.  It meant that even if he failed here, he was not going to be abandoned like his predecessors.  Even so, he still had no intentions of losing.

“Very well, I will prove myself fully to you,” Naoki said, letting him know his determination.

“Excellent,” Lucifer said, sounding like he was having fun instead of offering a dire examination.

* * *

On a world where Law had won the last great conflict, where Law was gripping its populous tight to avoid the inevitable rise of Chaos…

There were many other worlds like that within the Amala Network, many other worlds that could have used an extra break for Chaos to rise.  But in this one world, there was someone with a special bond.  This person also was key to shifting the tides of fate, although they did not realize just how they could be that important beyond their world.

The young bishop in question scanned over security logs.  “These patterns of disruptions are deliberate,” she said.  “It’s giving people strange ideas and causing all kinds of trouble, even after we get the bell towers restored.  Sraosha, someone must be trying to stop the Unity System.”

“No one should be able to realize that they can stop the Unity System,” the herald said, shifting his blue wings.  “They’re still doing it, in waves that allow strong dissenters to find each other before the system is restored.”  He reached over and put a hand on the bishop’s shoulder.  “We must root out this evil and destroy it.”

She looked up to the partner she had been given.  At first, she’d been awed that such a powerful angel would choose her.  It hadn’t taken long into her position to realize that he had the true power in their relationship.  She was just a mouthpiece for him to speak through, a human to accomplish certain tasks with.  For all the power people assumed she had, she was really quite helpless.

Or, so she had thought.  Someone had been sending her messages, gifting her books to read.  All of these communications pointed to a shocking secret: Sraosha needed her for his work.  If she managed to befriend him, gain his respect, and get his acknowledgment, she could make him realize that need as well.  She could even get him to love her like a father would love a daughter.

But in order for that to be possible at all, she needed to believe it was possible.  No doubts.  Believe that love could be taught to anyone.

She nodded to him.  “I’m picking up something within the patterns.  These aren’t blindly chosen attacks, so we can tell where our mystery antagonist will strike next.  I could go there tomorrow and confront them.”

“No, you have no idea who it is we’re dealing with,” Sraosha said quickly.  His fin wings flickered, as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard what he said himself.  “Well, we don’t know.  But we do know that the bell towers are tightly guarded, some with powerful beasts and angels.  The bells themselves should be indestructible, but they’re being destroyed anyhow.  You could,” he put his long fingers to his chin, “you could be hurt gravely.”

He’s worried about me.  She believed in that, and that belief would be real.

“I don’t want to see you hurt,” Sraosha said, puzzled at his own reactions.  “But this… anarchist, whoever it is… we do need to uncover them, and stop them.  Or else we lose the peace and order that we have maintained for so long.”

The young bishop smiled at him, both making him feel better and making him more confused.  “Of course.  But with you at my side, I’m sure we can stop this person.”

* * *

In the busy streets of a city, the bells rang.  People all throughout the city stopped and relaxed, comforted by the bells that protected their world from demons who would invade from their red moon.  At these times, they closed their eyes and prayed, all as one, to thank the most holy one, God, who made this all possible.

At least, most people prayed.  A few people were no longer affected by the bells.  They were fighting to make sure that even more people gained that defense in their souls.  As always, Chaos was rising to break down Law’s order.  Balance might come should a clever and willful soul make it come.  Otherwise, the balance would continue to swing loosely, back and forth for eternity.

There was one person on the world for whom the bells were a grating painful sound.  He still stopped when they rang, but he would not pray.  He wore the long white robes of a priest, covered up completely from the white screened hood to the bottom hem barely keeping off the ground.  Although, if one were to look closely, one might notice that unlike other priests, he wore no shoes.

Once the city was allowed to get back to work, he moved on.  People saw the robes and respectfully left him to his business.  One was not to disrupt a priest who seemed to be busy.  Even in causal settings, the priest was to be the first to speak if he or she was to be addressed.  It made things remarkably easy to get done so far.  But sometime soon, they had to realize that this wasn’t all random events.  He’d even left them a nice little pattern so that when he got revealed, he could smash their expectations to bits.

He arrived at a boarding house for clergymen that similarly hadn’t asked him any questions when he first checked in.  There was some procedure to follow: he signed into the daily guest book with ‘DKN’ and checked the room’s mail slot for messages.  Finding nothing, he headed upstairs to break for the day.  People expected others to sleep at night, but he took the time for other matters.

He set a sign so that the staff wouldn’t disturb him, then shut the door and curtains.  With that done, he took off the robes finally.  At least these clothes fit loosely, Naoki thought, setting them on a hanger so they stayed pristine.  He’d found that when he tried infiltrating human societies, he could not stand wearing most clothes anymore.  The cloth brushed against his markings in a scratchy manner even if they were the softest available.  Especially shoes, he hated trying to fit shoes on now.  Not even sandals felt comfortable.  Fortunately, Lucifer had taught him illusions so he didn’t have to wear clothing or show his markings.  He could even hide his horn.

But for this world, the fully covering priest robes were his best key anywhere.  They weren’t too bothersome once he got used to the weight on his shoulders.  Keeping them clean was a hassle, but it had to be done to complete his disguise.  He took some time to brush dirt off and make sure no stains would set in.  There was no blood today, which made things easier.  But tomorrow, well, that’d be a different story.

Unless of course, the theory he had proved true.

After he’d gotten the cleaning done, the smartphone he had started ringing.  Of course, he might have watched for a good moment.  There was only one person who’d be able to call this phone at the moment.  Naoki got it off the drawer he’d set it on and answered it.  “Hello father.”

“Do you have to be formal with me now?” Lucifer replied.

“I’m afraid so,” he said, dropping onto the bed.  Blankets usually didn’t bother him; it might be something psychological with the clothes.  “These walls should mute out most sound, but in case someone walks by, they’ll be expecting a formal priest talking.”

“You picked an awful role for this just based on how stuffy it forces you to be.”

“That is not a big problem,” he said.  “Priests have a lot of influence and anonymity.”

“Then how is your work going?”

Naoki rolled his eyes at this, having a good idea of why he was really calling.  “As expected.  They haven’t uncovered me yet, but that should change soon.  You should be able to tell that for yourself.”

“There’s a difference from looking at things from afar and knowing what’s up close, you know.  Since I can’t manifest in that world in any capacity yet, I’m counting on you for a lot.”

Putting a hand over the speaker, more so that Lucifer heard that motion than anyone outside hearing it, Naoki said, “You just missed the sound of my voice, didn’t you?”

“Naoki,” he said, then laughed.  “All right, yes, that’s why.  This is the first time I can’t just pop down wherever you are and check up on you.  It’s harder than expected.  And, you’re the only one I can speak like this too because the other fiends will tease me for coddling you.”

“I wouldn’t mind you coddling me if we didn’t have a billion things to get accomplished,” he said.  “I do miss you, father.  Especially on this ridiculous world.  There’s so much I could just complain about, even the things that don’t affect me with my priest cover.  I’m getting to the point where I really want to throttle some of these people, but I can’t break cover yet.  And besides, that wouldn’t help the real objective here.”

“It’s never easy on a world of Law, trying to slither through all their rules and find a crack to wedge yourself into for a strike.  Speaking of your objective, I have been keeping good tabs on them.”

“Then how are things developing?” he asked.  This was important to Aleph’s plans.  They’d proven with Lucifer that some of the corrupting force, perhaps all of it, could be countered by a strong-willed human who could start and maintain a familial relationship with the spirits afflicted by it.  It was little nips and corrections at this point, even with Lucifer.  However, getting a human close enough to an angel to incite the same correction was something they had yet to do.

“Very promising.  Sraosha is starting to say uncharacteristic things and to have a defensive feeling towards his partner.  I’d love to see them pushed further, but Aleph says this herald needs to stay within God’s acceptance for now.”

“That’s good.  And he’s right, even if we must give up on shifting this world to Chaos for the time being.  The important thing is getting corrective measures with the angels too.  Only, the four seraphs who are the most corrupted are going to be exceptionally difficult to reach.”  Which was why they were starting with those like Sraosha here, highly ranked but not as tightly caught up in the problem.

“I would hate to stop with our breaking of this world,” Lucifer said.  “The system they have is just sickening, where people hardly think.”

“Don’t worry, father,” Naoki said, knowing he had to check that rant before he got too into it.  “We’ll give them a taste for Chaos that leaves them yearning for more.  That’s how it always is, isn’t it?  We just had to trick them into the first few bites.”

He laughed at that.  “Yes, you’ve done well with that.”

Then, his horn came alert.  A group was moving upstairs in this boarding house, intent on meeting with him forcefully.  Perhaps violently.  Naoki licked his lips, then took another taste of the magatsuhi.  Ah, good.  “Something’s come up, or rather, is coming to me,” Naoki said quietly, this time with intent to keeping it from being overheard.  “Like I said, they have relearned Chaos and have unconsciously been drawn to me.  They just think they’re coming in to take a priest hostage.”

“I’m sure you’ll show them the error of their ways before you bring them under your personal tutelage,” Lucifer said.  “Carry on then.  And, I love you son.”

In spite of needing to focus his mind for this incident, Naoki couldn’t help a warm fuzzy feeling at this.  He was sincere.  “Of course.  I love you too, father.  And don’t worry; I should be seeing you soon.”

“I’ll be waiting.”  He then disconnected the call.  Naoki went to set it in the pocket of the priest robes.  While it wasn’t something a priest was forbidden to use, he hid it so one of these fools didn’t try to steal it.

He’d sat back down on the bed by the time that the rebels tried to silently turn the knob.  When it clicked, two of them burst into the room.  They both held guns to him quickly.  “Freeze!”  But the thug’s gusto evaporated as his jaw dropped on seeing him.  Their world believed that tattoos and makeup were sinful things to put on one’s body.  Someone who had black markings with a line of blue-green glows would be seen as some kind of devil immediately.

Naoki clicked his tongue.  They had guns.  Aside from Almighty powers, guns were the one thing that wasn’t accounted for with his magatama’s defenses.  But as long as he showed no fear, he could dissuade them from actually firing.  He brought two of his fingers to his mouth and blew through them, creating a large sparkling snowflake between the fingers.  “Freeze what?” he asked, then snapped the snowflake in two.

The pair, along with a third trying to back them up, all flinched at the sound.  But that was just for show.  Not wanting to spook them into firing, Naoki closed his eyes, tilting his head towards the hall.  He’d already scanned things and knew there were two more besides these three involved.  This was so they knew he knew with means beyond their own.

“Why don’t the five of you come in?” he said, keeping his face stoic.  It tended to throw more people than if he showed familiar emotions freely.  “If you wish to discuss things, I’ll discuss things.  Just shut the door behind you.”

“What’s going on?” one of those out of sight whispered loudly.

“Uh, got me, but he just invited us in to talk,” the thug said.  “He’s… not a priest.”

“Come again?”  The thugs moved aside so that the other two could come in.  The curious one was shocked too.

But the fifth one, who’d been quiet and far better suited for this mission than the others, he observed things.  He was thinking through things.  And unless Naoki was mistaken… no, this was him.  This was the human on whom the balance turned for this world.  His choices would decide the future.  So far, he’d not solidified his beliefs.

As important as the young woman with Sraosha was, this hero was even more vital to gain a connection with.  Naoki nodded, then signaled them to follow his request to shut the door behind them.  “I’m acting as a priest to carry out a particular mission,” he said.  “Whatever reason you had for coming in here to take a priest hostage, know this: I am the Demifiend and I could help you with your objective far more effectively than any old priest.”  He smiled, a bit of intimidation in the confidence.  “Now, what do you want?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And that's the end! I chose to do True Demon Ending because while it's the one many players favor, I wanted to figure out why an average teenager in this situation would end up choosing that way (albeit I like my heroes as heroes, not completely evil). Then the whole thing with the demon heart actually being a downgrade, it was something I suspected could happen. In settings like the SMT universe, humans need some advantage that keeps them from being completely slaves to angels and demons. SMV IV brought out stronger evidence that yes, it would be downgrade, so I went with that too.  
> Speaking of SMT IV, I will start posting a chaptered fic for that (The Nth Option) in March, so look forward to that!


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